Cardiff City fell to their first Division One away defeat as they wilted to 2nd half Forster and Sidwell goals – both created by Scott Murray, ouch! – as The Royals recorded a 2-1 at Madejski Stadium.
Cardiff City don’t do dull matches anymore. Every game seems to be an experience and occasion and with City flying in 6th place on their return, the ‘buzz’ surrounding the club gets higher and higher. So much so that almost 3,500 South Walians headed along the M4 to be serenaded with “where were you when you were sh*t?” by home fans – the irony of Reading being a smaller club with smaller crowds a few years ago at Elm Park obviously lost on their glory-seeking fans.
Fans knew that, following Nottingham Forest, this was easily our biggest test of the season so far especially considering the other 5 teams we have played in Division One occupied the bottom 11 places before kick-off. But having beaten Forest convincingly at City Ground, there were high optimism and no fear at Reading.
The M4 was awash with City scarves, flags and regalia wherever you looked. I hope The RAMS travelling on the Croydon Coach got there and back ok, when we passed it, it was listing 45 degrees to one side – either the big boys or the Strongbow was piled up on the left hand side! The trip was quick and uneventful, roadworks threatening to do their worst near Swindon caused only a minor delay. Cardiff Gate to Reading in well under 2 hours … all achieved legally of course!
When reaching Junction 11 of the M4, the options are to head north to back at or near the ground with the possibility you’ll still be there upto 1 hour after the match or south to a nearby village and walk 20 minutes to/from the ground but at least you’ll be quickly back onto the motorway. That’s what I, and a few hundred others did, found an excellent village-type pub with very grateful landlord, the quickest few hundred pounds he has earned.
Lennie had no hesitation in naming an unchanged team, Gabbidon injured and Lee suspended and injured but James Collins and Peter Thorne hardly weakened the team. Reading came into the match in some disarray with manager Alan Pardew on “gardening leave” after offering his resignation but being refused, it still seems likely that he is about to go to West Ham. City fans enjoyed chanting “there’s only one Alan Pardew” and “where’s your Pardew gone?”.
Kevin Dillon is in temporary charge, he wants the job, and lost his first game 1-0 at the weekend, ironically at West Ham. Reading made the play-offs last season on their First Division bow and having strengthened over summer, there’s few doubts that they’ll in the Premiership reckoning next May too. Their team were mostly well known, some infamous amongst City fans.
Like City, they played 4-4-2 backed by Marcus Hanneman, a USA international signed from Fulham in the summer. He turned out to be Reading’s man of the match in a game where he was easily the busiest keeper having to face more efforts on and off target than Neil Alexander.
Defence was Shorey-Murty-Brown-Williams, Captain Adrian Williams having spent last week with Earnie, Weston and Gabbidon in the Welsh squad. Hughes-Murray-Sidwell-Harper in midfield. Scott Murray got the sort of recognition off City fans that all ex-Wurzels deserve but Charlie Harper got some stick too having left City during a successful loan to sign for Reading, a bigger club … at the time! Steve Sidwell, like Harper, is an ex-Arsenal player and both remain friends with Rhys Weston.
Their strikeforce was Nicky Forster and Feed The Goat Shaun Goater, another of the several hundred players linked with City over the summer.
Read previous website reports for a Madejski Stadium description is as it was City’s third visit and we were on a hat-trick having won both previous league games there. Suffice to say, it is excellent with great views and being bowl shaped, has a good atmosphere too.
Except Reading’s 12,000 fans in the 15,800 crowd were mostly along one side of the stadium with small pockets dotted to our left and behind the opposite goal. Vocally and to the eye, it had the feel of a home game but Reading were singing along too in a vain attempt to compete with us rather than support their team, they would have been silent otherwise.
The opening stages were fast and furious, yet again it was more like a cup tie than a league match with play running end to end. Robinson just wide, Earnie blocked, Thorne blocked for City and Forster making Alexander save low then another effort whistled wide – all in the first four minutes!
But as play settled City became dominant, showed exceptional play touches and turns to firstly dominate and then outplay the home side. On 10 minutes, Earnie looked set to open the scoring as Langley placed him through with a clever pass, the alert Hanneman denied him by charging off his line to smother his shot.
It was a temporary reprieve as City forged ahead on 13. More fast, intricate passing opened Reading, Kav sprayed the ball to the wide right edge of the area where Thorne had lost his marker, he took one touch to control then shot right to left across Hanneman and fired home to send City fans absolutely ballistic and send the quiet Reading fans even quieter.
James Collins, struggling a little in the opening phases, when players took him on did well to block Scott Murray cutting across goal from the restart before Thorney came close to doubling the lead just before the quarter hour and maybe he should have too but his shot, when clear, was screwed across goal.
Reading were looking ragged as Langley’s skill, Kav’s play and Boland plus Robbo’s sheer work-rate totally bossed midfield with Weston looking fantastic and Chris Barker making runs on the left too, it was a one way contest. The only mild excitement Reading fans had was James Collins being booked causing them to chant “w*nker”.
The main source of help to The Royals was the referee, Mike Fletcher of Worcestershire. To describe him as a homer was an understatement, you could only hope that luck evens itself out and we get him at Ninian Park later in the season! Unfortunately for City, one of his “homer” decisions indirectly contributed to the defeat.
City had more chances to extend their lead, Langley making Hanneman save one effort, fire another over and, with his best chance after the home side were carved open again, he chipped over the keeper but wide of the far post too with the goal gaping.
City’s best chance came to Earnie played through again by Langley and looking set to score but again the home team had to thanks Hanneman’s alertness as he charged out and blocked the little fella’s shot.
Reading’s muted response were a couple of blocked shots, Forester heading wide and the anonymous Goater nodding what amounted to a back-pass to Alexander. City had comprehensively outshined Reading and didn’t we love it?
Half-time: READING 0 CITY 1
The opening exchanges of the second period went the home team’s way as an edge of area free kick saw Sidwell hit the ball with real venom on his right foot that rebounded straight at him which he returned with a left footed missile that, fortunately, dipped wide.
Moments later, Peter Thorne and City fans were convinced it was 2-0 as the Magic Hat man went on another of his many forceful runs forward, slipped a defender and smashed the ball from fully 25 yards. With City fans behind the goal, we knew it was on its way right into the top corner of goal, I still don’t know how Hanneman got there to push it away one handed. Five minutes after that, another Thorne run and shot which Hanneman got down and just pushed wide, it may have been just missing anyway.
For the second successive away game, it was the home team’s goalkeeper who was their man of the match – that tells you everything about the power and play of Cardiff City these days.
However there were signs that Reading were upping the tempo and also signs City were starting to run out of steam as Reading’s midfield were looking livelier and belatedly making an impact. Slowly but surely, they were pushing City back. Kav was seeing a little less of the bal to spray around, Boland was having to run twice as hard to cover and John Robinson was looking both tired and injured. City subs were running up and down the touchline but that’s all they did for the entire period.
Reading’s equalizer, when it came, was still a shock and probably not deserved at that time but the warning signals had been apparent. The move was fast and excellent, not dissimilar to how City opened them up for the opening goal.
Quick play transferring the ball through midfield, Harper pushing the ball to the wide edge of City’s area and Scott Murray instantly delivering a low ball across the face of the 6 yard box where NICKY FORSTER got ahead of Vidmar and steered home.
Reading fans got out of their coma and went into synchronised celebrations as the tannoy boomed The Piranhas Tom Hark and they alternately punched their arms into the air. 7 points for artistic merit and 10 points for complete naffness. Half the City fans were rolling about laughing at it, the rest mockingly applauding them.
Still, it was now a transformed game and there looked to be just one winner although City were stung and tried taking the game back to the home side from the restart. They had nothing more to show than a promising position with a Kav free-kick, he chose placement, he hit the wall.
The ref confirmed his “homer” status when Kav was scythed for that free-kick as he instantly reached for his pocket to show a yellow card to the offender – Sidwell. As he did, it dawned on him that he had already booked the player and would now have to send him off so he withdrew his hand and spoke to him. Good refereeing or a bottler??
Reading fired in crosses and won a couple of corners but City, although now penned in their half and relying on occasional breaks, held firm. Robbo meanwhile was becoming a passenger, his groin-type strain very apparent but still he carried on. City looked in need of change, the bench options were limited but, at this stage, surely the introduction of Croft or Bonner in particular but maybe Bowen too could have helped.
City, you hoped, were grinding a draw but the fates conspired against us with 10 minutes remaining as Reading won a free-kick, moved it quickly again, Murray crossed, it was blocked, Forster touched it on allowing Sidwell a free strike at goal from 25 yards as no City player was near him.
It still needed an exceptional shot to cause harm but it was, SIDWELL’s hit flew arrow-like into Alexander’s top right corner, his dive was in despair, he had no chance. Credit to the player for an outstanding strike but, really, he shouldn’t have been on the pitch if the referee had performed his job correctly.
You sensed there was no way back for City and that’s how it turned out. They tried but even with 4 minutes added on, they could not hit back and rarely got close. Thorne, on yet another powerful charge, had an effort blocked, Kav missed and Eranie fired a bicycle kick over when the ball came awkwardly behind him. Bowen replaced the hobbling Robinson with 5 minutes remaining.
It was a harsh First Division lesson. We were easily the better side for an hour, we had more efforts on and off target than the home team but, like the Bradford home defeat,. City were ultimately beaten by the only two real efforts that the home side got on goal in the entire 90 minutes. A draw would perhaps have been a fair result but Reading turned it around and controlled the last half-hour of the game, it was crucial and just made it a little more baffling why changes did not happen.
To go down narrowly and after playing so well was disappointing but no disgrace against a team who were surely be at or near the top at the end of the season. That we more than matched them confirms we should have few problems consolidating and may still be able to make some sort of challenge ourselves this season … that would be a huge bonus.
Cardiff deserved credit and were fully entitled to the standing ovation they received at final whistle. City fell to 10th, immediately behind Millwall, immediately ahead of Stoke – lovely! The football is infinitely more enjoyable but the challenges get tougher. On Saturday, it’s Sheffield United away, 5-0 winners tonight. Maybe some tweaks, the return of Danny Gabbidon would be beneficial and a quick recovery for John Robinson are necessary – start your prayers.
External reports
The Independent
BBC