CHARLTON PATHETIC Reading 2-0 Charlton Athletic

It had all the ingredients of a classic Reading cock-up. Bottom of the table Charlton arrived without an away win to their name in the week in which they had sacked a manager who had lasted less than six months. Ultimately, however, we racked up what was a pretty routine easy win against dispirited opposition and in doing so moved 11 points ahead of the basement side and more importantly 9 points clear of the relegation zone into 8th place.

At the start of the season the pundits forecast heap big trouble for Reading but Big Chief Coppell insisted he had faith in his squad and as supporters we debated amongst ourselves whether we could find 3 weaker sides than us in the Premiership. Given that we have currently double the wins of fellow promotee's Sheffield United and Watford combined you'd expect that our old friends have two of those dreaded three drop zone places sewn up and on the evidence of yesterday you'd expect Charlton to finish well below a Reading side - not at their best by any means - who made light work of the Addicks yesterday.

Typical of the room and space we were afforded at our own manor yesterday was the opening goal. Hunt's backheel allowed Shorey-for-England ample opportunity to measure up a typically brilliant cross. SEOL was hopelessly unmarked 8 yards out to guide home a gift of a free header for a cheap opener and if you are conceding headed goals to our less than spring-heeled Korean then you must be a side in trouble. That's why you're going down, chorused the Reading fans in typically ungenerous mood and it was hard to argue with the sentiment as a couple of thousand Charlton fans sat in gloomy silence. Reading bossed this game throughout in truth but the performance level was never as high as against Spurs the previous week. Glen Little had an unusually quiet match and on the opposing flank Steven Hunt had his usual 98% perspiration 2% inspiration kind of game. Little put a more than presentable chance wide and another free header came Hunt's way but another good chance went begging. Doyle went clean through but failed to punish Charlton and halftime came and went with Reading well on top but only one goal to the good. Better sides will punish us for such profligacy.

Charlton's best response in an equally pathetic second half for easily the worst opposition we have faced so far was a curled effort easily gathered by Hahnemann from Dennis Rommedahl. Dennis Skinner would have carried more threat. Doyle wasted another one-on-one opportunity with unusual hesitancy and Hunt's volley from Shorey's cross was neatly executed but ultimately a rather tame effort which Scott Carson stopped. There was an air of inevitability about a second Reading goal which came with less than twenty minutes remaining as a result of high farce. The otherwise faultless Sidwell sliced his attempted shot at the edge of the area. The Charlton defenders reacted as much speed as Stephen Hawking over a cattle grid to allow DOYLE to nip in and banish all memories of his earlier wastefulness with a dink over Carson.

Murty cleared off the line at the other and but the damage had long since been done and the only other scare was when a useless fluffed cross from Ambrose almost caught Hahnemann out. Seol wrapped his foot around Lita's cross following Sidwell's dummy to send a shot high wide and about as handsome as former Charlton boss Iain Dowie whilst Hunt appeared to have been manhandled in the box by El Karkouri for an obvious penalty but referee Poll dismissed the appeal with trademark arrogance in the face of his own ineptitude. And that was that. Job done, banana skin removed safely from our path and another three points. The recent run of defeats at the hand of big budget opposition was looking a worry two weeks ago, but the best medicine for that kind of sickness is 6 points from two games. Viva le revival.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Little (Gunnarsson, 88), Sidwell, Harper, Hunt, Seol (Oster, 88), Doyle (Lita, 75). Subs not used: Federici, Bikey.

Floyd's Favourite: Sidwell. The most dictatorial performance since Idi Amin.