LATEST NEWS ON 'The Royals'
March 2008
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  • 29th March 2008 - Rovers Return With A Point

    • Reading earned a valuable point in their battle against relegation with a goalless draw against UEFA-Cup chasing Blackburn. But the scoreline tells none of the story in a game which was flat for an hour and then exploded into life with a controversial red card for Reading midfielder Marek Matejovsky.

    The Royals, down to 10 men, then created the two best chances of afternoon and could have left the Madejski Stadium with the victory which would have virtually assured their top-flight survival. At one stage during a topsy-turvy afternoon in the Barclays Premiership, a draw did not appear enough for Reading, with relegation rivals Bolton and Birmingham both winning. But with Arsenal snatching a late winner at the Reebok Stadium, Reading retained their five-point cushion over the relegation zone with six games remaining.

    The major talking point was the dismissal of Matejovsky, who was shown two yellow-cards in the space of 11 minutes. The first on the hour mark was for a late tackle on David Dunn and was justified - but the second was for an innocuous challenge on Jason Roberts and incensed Reading manager Steve Coppell.

    Marcus Hahnemann pulled off a brilliant point-blank save to deny Roque Santa Cruz before Reading then created two golden chances to win the game. But after Stephen Hunt missed his kick and Brad Friedel saved Andre Bikey's powerful header, Reading had to settle for a point. There were a total of nine bookings in a match which exploded into life in the final 20 minutes after a first-half stalemate that was poor in quality and lacked intensity.

    Reading did unsettle the Blackburn defence early, with Zurab Khizanishvili forced to deflect a Kevin Doyle cross away from Dave Kitson at the far post. John Oster kept the ball in play, nutmegged Steve Warnock and drove in a low cross and Stephen Hunt could only poke the ball wide under pressure at the near post from Andre Ooijer. Morten Gamst Pedersen was Blackburn's chief threat in the early exchanges and he headed a David Bentley cross back across goal towards Roberts. But the Grenada international, who helped his country to a 10-0 win over the US Virgin Islands in midweek, had more time than he realised and Reading goalkeeper Hahnemann picked off his soft header.

    Blackburn were more patient but could not make their superior possession count and boss Mark Hughes was growing increasingly frustrated in the technical area. Reading, attacking in flashes, continued to look more dangerous. Friedel was then forced to punch the ball clear, virtually off Hunt's forehead, and the American was out again to claim a catch ahead of Kitson's physical leap. Hunt almost latched onto a knock-down in the Blackburn area, before Rovers broke clear with a 60-yard run from Roberts until he was fouled by Matejovsky.

    Pedersen's drilled shot was tipped over the bar by Hahnemann, who claimed the subsequent corner and then clashed with Ryan Nelson. The Blackburn captain kneed the ball out of Hahnemann's grasp as he wound up to throw the ball clear and the keeper then jumped in dangerously to try and win possession back. Both players were booked by referee Mark Clattenburg. Roberts created two openings either side of the break, but first Liam Rosenior and then Bikey cleared Reading's lines.

    The pace and intensity had certainly picked up after the interval as Reading counter-attacked well, with Kitson a link-man on half-way before being clattered from behind by Warnock, who was booked. Roberts quickly became the third Blackburn player to be shown the yellow for dissent. Reading were playing with tempo and Doyle jinked inside two defenders before feeding Hunt, whose cross was laid back by Oster, but Matejovsky scuffed his shot. Rosenior then whipped in a dangerous cross to Hunt seven yards out, but the Ireland international volleyed his shot high over the bar.

    Matejovsky received his first booking for jumping into a tackle on Dunn and when Harper's clearing header fell to Bentley, the England international unleashed a dipping volley which Hahnemann tipped over the bar. Santa Cruz stole the wrong side of Bikey to latch onto a long ball from Dunn but poked his shot wide of the near post. Matejovsky was then sent off for a block on Roberts and if that decision was controversial, Coppell was infuriated by two poor offside decisions. The first of them allowed Santa Cruz a free header at goal, which Hahnemann did brilliantly to parry clear from point-blank range.

    Despite being a man down, Reading still worked the best chances to win the game. Substitute Shane Long broke clear and picked out Hunt unmarked in the box, but the energetic Reading striker could not connect with the volley.Reading then forced a corner which Bikey met with a powerful header, but Friedel parried it clear.



  • 26th March 2008 - Eurovision 2008

    • I have now updated the site in readiness for this year's Eurovision Song Contest, due to take place in Belgrade on 20th, 22nd and 24th May. Follow the link from the Index for details of this year's format, entries, venue and presenters.

    I have also included a new section with links to the video of all 43 entries. So if you can't wait until May, you can watch every song now.

  • 22nd March 2008 - Bikey At The Double

    • Andre Bikey struck twice to secure Reading three crucial points with a 2-1 defeat of Birmingham City at the Madejski Stadium. Bikey's emphatic header on the half-hour gave Reading a lead they richly deserved. But Birmingham, who were missing James McFadden after the Scotland striker had keyhole surgery on Saturday morning, hit back through Mauro Zarate. They had barely managed a shot on target to that point; yet Zarate - McFadden's replacement - was on hand to convert Mikael Forssell's cross and open his Birmingham account. The Blues' hopes of returning to St Andrews with a fortuitous point were dashed, however, when Cameroon defender Bikey nodded home the 80th-minute winner.

    Reading would have been out of sight long ago had they made the most of their dominance, with midfielder Stephen Hunt hitting the woodwork and Dave Kitson and John Oster also going close. Despite Bikey's two goals, it was Hunt who stole the show with another livewire display that left the Blues scrambling furiously for much of the first half. Barely a minute was on the clock when a probing run from Hunt exposed the Birmingham defence, which was let off the hook when Kevin Doyle just failed to connect from point-blank range. Hunt was unmarked on the edge of the area in the seventh minute, but his lobbed ball to Dave Kitson was easily headed clear.

    Reading were caught napping moments later and nearly paid the price, Forssell teeing up Gary McSheffrey - who pushed his shot wide of the right post. Kitson was sent tumbling as Liam Ridgewell tried to shield the ball just three yards from the goal, but referee Mike Riley was unmoved. It took Rahdi Jaidi to finally clear the ball as Doyle sought to stab home, and in the 17th minute Hunt was denied by Stephen Kelly's timely intervention.

    Hunt was rampant and rattled the bar with a blistering 25-yard drive after bulldozing his way through Birmingham's midfield. Liam Rosenior delivered a pinpoint cross into the box. But goalkeeper Maik Taylor made a commanding catch, with a clutch of Reading players poised to strike.

    Birmingham were struggling to make any sort of impact as the Royals cranked up the pressure with waves of attacks. It therefore came as little surprise when the hosts went ahead in the 31st minute. Hunt chased a lost cause in the left corner and won a free-kick, which Oster floated into the box. Birmingham's defence was all at sea, and Bikey was able to slip through unnoticed and thump the ball home with an emphatic header. The Blues produced a promising spell that ended when Ridgewell's delicate cross was easily plucked from the air by Marcus Hahnemann.

    Reading started the first half brightly and should have extended their lead when Doyle picked out an unmarked Oster only for the Wales midfielder to sky his shot from six yards. The Blues' defence was being exposed repeatedly, while in attack their feeble efforts were easily repelled by Reading's alert rearguard. Oster had an appeal for handball turned down after Birmingham were caught on the counter, and it was difficult to see how they could loosen the home side's stranglehold on the match. But against the run of play in the 65th minute, Forssell outmuscled Ivar Ingimarsson on the left. The Finland international threaded the ball to Zarate, who made no mistake to open his Blues account.

    Reading began to look jittery at the back but breathed more easily after Bikey made it 2-1. Nicky Shorey sent a free-kick into the box, and Bikey nodded home as Birmingham once again struggled to contain the powerful African at the decisive moment.

    Birmingham striker James McFadden will miss the next two games after completing keyhole surgery on his knee this morning. Scotland striker McFadden was out of today's 2-1 Barclays Premier League defeat at Reading and will also sit out clashes with Manchester City and Wigan. Blues manager Alex McLeish said: "James had a small tear in his knee. He had keyhole surgery this morning, and we'll miss him for two more matches. It happened after the Newcastle match. We were not concerned at first, because we thought it was just a knock. But over the past few days the physiotherapist thought it might be a tear in his knee - and so it proved to be. He's out now, but it lets other plays have a chance."

    Cameroon defender Andre Bikey struck twice to secure Reading three crucial points at the Madejski Stadium. Birmingham had hit back when Mauro Zarate levelled in the 65th minute - but Bikey sealed victory with a thumping header 10 minutes from time. The defeat leaves the Blues just a point above the relegation zone in 17th, and former Scotland boss McLeish is reluctant to set a safety target. He said: "I don't really like doing the points thing. I did that for the Scotland campaign - and Arsene Wenger said 24 points would be enough to qualify for Euro 2008. But it wasn't. Three pointers are becoming essential for us; it's important that we pick them up, because it's becoming so tight. But need to keep everyone fit and stop shipping goals."

    Reading boss Steve Coppell hailed Bikey's two-goals - the African celebrated the strikes with a triple somersault - and was impressed by the way his side reacted to Birmingham's fightback. He said: "It's a delight for anyone to score goals. But Bikey celebrates in his own particular style, which is with a flourish. The goals were very welcome. The second one came at a stage when we hadn't quite lost our way but they'd changed their shape - and we had to respond to that. We're not very good at holding on to things, and so our mentality must be to score more goals - because we have more bite when we have the incentive to score. Credit to Birmingham - they had a spell for 10 minutes when they were in control, and I couldn't see a way out of it. But I brought on Shane Long, and we needed that change. At one stage I thought we'd be punished for not converting our chances, because we had more than enough to win. Bikey's second was a delight."

    Reading sit in 15th place, and Coppell is convinced the magical 40-point mark is within reach. He said: "It doesn't matter when you get the points; you just have to get them. I've said all along we're capable of getting 40, and that's still the case. We have seven games left, so the ball is still in our court."



  • 15th March 2008 - Battling Royals Denied

    • Liverpool were made to fight all the way by a belligerent Reading outfit - but it was Fernando Torres again who secured the 2-1 home win and a firm grip on fourth place. Torres became the first Liverpool player to score 20 league goals in a season since Robbie Fowler in the 1995-96 campaign. It was his 27th of the term and his ninth in seven matches, but that did not really tell the full story of this fierce clash.

    Reading gave everything, fought for every ball and subjected Liverpool to a searching aerial examination in a frantic conclusion. The visitors led after five minutes thanks to a stunning 20-yard strike from Marek Matejovsky and it took an equally stunning Javier Mascherano equaliser to get Liverpool back into the match.

    Torres had a quiet game by his standards, but he punished Reading with a header soon after the break, about the only time he was left unattended all afternoon. From then on Reading fought for an equaliser, and somehow Liverpool - after their midweek Champions League heroics in Milan - clung on for their seventh successive victory.

    Liverpool made two changes from the side that beat Inter Milan in the San Siro with Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa returning, with Sami Hyypia and Lucas Leiva making way. Reading, having pulled themselves marginally away from the relegation battle with two successive wins, were unchanged from the side that beat Manchester City last weekend as they went in search of their first victory at Anfield.

    Alonso saw an early shot deflected into Marcus Hahnemann's arms, while Ryan Babel and Torres both looked confident and dangerous. But Reading stunned their hosts with an exceptional goal after a free-kick wide on the left for Arbeloa's foul on Stephen Hunt. John Oster guided the ball across the edge of the penalty area and the unmarked Matejovsky smashed a swerving volley into the top corner off the crossbar with Jose Reina motionless.

    Liverpool's response was a fine ball from Gerrard that sent Torres away, but Hahnemann rushed from his line to make a fine block on the edge of the box. It was going to take something special to match Matejovsky's effort and it came from Mascherano, only the second goal of his first-team career with Corinthians, River Plate, West Ham and now Liverpool. The Argentina international gained possession 40 yards out and surged forward to lash the ball high past Hahnemann into the top right-hand corner.

    Liverpool almost scored again when Mascherano's sweeping ball out to Babel set the Dutch youngster moving and he cut in before lashing an angled drive that Hahnemann beat away. Babel's diving header from Gerrard's cross a minute later was rightly ruled out for offside, before Dirk Kuyt hooked over Arbeloa's cross on the turn. But Reading were competitive and aggressive and the pace of Kevin Doyle and the spiky involvement of Hunt always had the Berkshire side in the game.

    Alonso, from 30 yards, almost put Liverpool ahead a minute from the break, but the hosts struck soon after half-time. Torres was brought down out on the left after 48 minutes and when Gerrard lifted the free-kick into the box, the Spain striker rose unchallenged to head down and wide of Hahnemann.

    Kuyt headed just over from Fabio Aurelio's cross, before Hunt, not surprisingly, got himself booked for yet another foul on Arbeloa. Torres' crossfield ball sent Babel away on the left and the winger side-stepped three defenders before blasting his shot over the top. Reading then took off Long, sending on Dave Kitson after 63 minutes. The Irish striker was far from impressed, hurling his shirt onto the track before being reprimanded by a clearly angry Reading boss Steve Coppell for his action.

    Hahnemann then saved well to beat out an Aurelio drive, with Torres heading the rebound just wide. Andre Bikey was next into the book for a foul on Gerrard and the Cameroon international became involved in a heated exchange with the Liverpool captain and referee Andre Marriner before the yellow card was shown.

    Cisse was booked for a foul on Torres after 87 minutes, before Alonso fired over from a Riise pass. Reading threw everything forward and there were loud appeals for a penalty when Gerrard charged down a Kitson shot in injury-time, but Liverpool held on.

    Reading boss Steve Coppell was left fuming after his side's narrow 2-1 defeat at Anfield. He said: "I am very disappointed with the free header for Torres, if you allow him to do that six yards out, he will score. We just stood and watched. As for what we felt was a strong shout for a penalty late on, the ball hit Gerrard on the arm and it was bound for the net. Having seen a penalty given earlier in the week for Aston Villa (when Middlesbrough's Luke Young was harshly penalised for a similar act) this one was stitched on. The ball was heading for the goal from (Dave) Kitson and it hit Gerrard on the arms!"

    Coppell was unhappy with Long's antics, saying: "I have told him I never want to see something like that again, and I won't. I will deal with it my way, I won't be telling anyone. He was annoyed with the officials, just frustrated. He was playing against a centre-half who was six inches taller and every time they came together, it was a free-kick for Liverpool. I understand his frustration, and that is how he expressed it. But it was not the right thing to do."

    Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was also disappointed with the performance of referee Marriner. He said: "Reading were upset with the official and so were we. Maybe that says something. We had a player, (Alvaro) Arbeloa, who took at elbow in the face and had his eye cut. It was close to the line, and the fourth official. Everybody could see it, but not the referee. As for their penalty claim, Steven Gerrard has told me the ball hit him with his arm against his chest, it was not stuck out to deflect the ball. I always prefer not to comment on referees, but both sides were clearly disappointed with him."

    On Mascherano's first goal for the club, he said: "We have been encouraging him to shoot more, and he has started doing that. And of course I was pleased with Fernando again. He did not have much space, but scored another crucial goal."



  • 8th March 2008 - Long Boost For Royals

    • Reading climbed out of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone with a 2-0 win over Manchester City at Madejski Stadium. Republic of Ireland forward Long - with newly-appointed international assistant boss Liam Brady watching from the stands - ran half the length of the field to get on the end of a cutback from Kevin Doyle just after the hour which gave the home side a deserved lead. A fine late solo effort from substitute Dave Kitson ensured a second straight victory for the Royals, which lifts them up into 13th place and puts daylight between them and the bottom three.

    City lost captain Richard Dunne to a leg injury, which needed nine stitches, and also had a strong penalty shout turned down by referee Uriah Rennie. With their rivals United crashing out of the FA Cup to Portsmouth, it now seems certain only a fifth-place finish would guarantee City European football next season. However, with now just one win from the last eight - ironically at Old Trafford - those dreams have been left hanging by the balance and could yet see Sven-Goran Eriksson enter his men into the Intertoto Cup during the summer.

    Reading, though, now have fate back in their own hands once again as they look to retain a place among the elite sides of English football for another season. The game's first chance came when Benjani Mwaruwari found some space and skipped clear into the right side of the Reading box. However, his final touch was too heavy, which took the ball into the hands of keeper Marcus Hahnemann.

    A deep cross from John Oster then picked out Hunt at the far post, but his looping header was safely collected by City keeper Joe Hart. The visitors almost snatched the lead after 24 minutes. A free-kick from the left touchline was sent over by Elano and bounced through to Vedran Corluka. The Croatia defender was perhaps caught out by the unexpected chance - and could only guide the ball over the bar from five yards with his knee.

    Benjani should have done better when he met Darius Vassell's cross at the far post, but headed tamely at the keeper. City were forced into a change after 30 minutes when Dunne had to be taken off on a stretcher, replaced by Sun Jihai, after an awkward fall following a challenge with Hunt left him with a twisted knee and also a gash in his shin. Kevin Doyle - another Irishman hoping to impress - flicked on a corner from Hunt at the near post, but the ball flew behind. Long then also went close, this time with a backward header from Oster's left-wing free-kick. Midfielder Marek Matejovsky drilled in a low, angled shot from the right edge of the penalty area, which Hart kept out with a fine reaction save.

    At the other end, Michael Johnson weaved into the Reading box, and looked to have been tripped by Royals skipper Ivar Ingimarsson. However, referee Uriah Rennie was having none of it - and promptly booked the City man for what he saw as a dive.

    City had the first chance of the second half, but Gelson Fernandes' shot from 25 yards was straight at Hahnemann. Elano was then given space on the left and his low strike from distance was only just wide. Long just failed to connect with a deep ball from the right into the six-yard box at the other end as the hosts continued to press. From a corner Andre Bikey managed to get into space at the near post and slammed the ball goalwards, but Hart pushed it onto the bar from point-blank range.

    Reading, however, were soon in front when Long tapped in from five yards following Doyle's good work. The atmosphere inside the Madejski Stadium was tense as the match entered the final 10 minutes. But after Reading sent on Dave Kitson, he eased the tension with a fine solo effort in the 88th minute when he cut in from the right before slotting into the bottom corner from 10 yards.

    Steve Coppell insists none of his Reading players can 'relax' despite hauling themselves out of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone with a 2-0 win over Manchester City. A second-half strike from Shane Long - with new assistant Republic of Ireland manager Liam Brady watching in the stands - and a late goal from substitute Dave Kitson proved enough for a second successive win for the Royals.

    However, despite now climbing up to 13th place after a result which puts daylight between Reading and the drop zone, Coppell maintains there is still plenty of hard work ahead. "We have to accumulate a certain number of points, and we cannot relax in any way," declared the Royals manager. "We are all on a mission to ensure we are playing in this division again next season. It is congested down there. One week you can be out of the firing line, but we have to string a number of results together to make sure people are not looking at us under the microscope." Coppell added: "It is accepted that 40 points is a significant number and I maintain we are capable of getting that, so that is my target."

    The Reading boss was quick to praise the efforts of his front men. "The example of Kevin Doyle and Shaun Long in terms of massive desire and effort, combined with a great deal of skill, to create the first goal made life a lot easier for us." Coppell said. "However, for City to lose Richard Dunne was significant, because he is a fine player and a good leader. That played to our advantage, but we still had to make use of that advantage."

    When the game was still goalless, the visitors had a strong penalty shout turned down by referee Uriah Rennie, who booked Michael Johnson for what he saw as a dive when it appeared the City midfielder had been tripped by Ivar Ingimarsson. Eriksson lamented: "We got a yellow card, and I thought it should have been a penalty, maybe we should have got two. In the first half, we created some chances, but did not take them - when things are difficult, sometimes it can go like that." He added: "Today it is very difficult to be a referee, because you have the answer 10 or 15 seconds after it has happened, with all the video guys we have sitting close to the bench. But it is very easy when we can look at the replay. It would be good if the referee could do it as well."

    Eriksson is concerned City - already without Micah Richards - could be left short at the back with Dunne's injury, which may keep him out for up to two weeks. He said: "For the last 10 minutes, you could see that Michael Ball was not okay either, you could see that for the second goal. But we do not have any more defenders, so we have to carry on."

    The Swede, however, remains positive City can end the season on a high. He said: "It is a difficult and frustrating time because we have taken only one point and conceded easy goals which at the first half of the season Manchester City would never have done. It is up to us to make it right and start to win, because otherwise there is no meaning talking about Europe. As long as it is still a mathematical possibility, we have to believe it and fight for it."



  • 1st March 2008 - A Win At Last - Just

    • James Harper stopped the rot for Reading in dramatic fashion at the Riverside Stadium when he fired a final-minute winner past Middlesbrough keeper Mark Schwarzer. The midfielder's fifth goal of the season gave the Royals their first Barclays Premier League points at the ninth attempt and a massive boost in their bid to avoid the drop.

    Until then a dismal game looked nailed on for a goalless stalemate once Boro wide man Stewart Downing had been controversially denied a 77th minute penalty following a challenge by Marek Matejovsky. Instead, much to the fury of the home fans, referee Howard Webb handed Downing a booking for diving and paved the way for Steve Coppell's man to carve out their unlikely three point haul.

    Unsurprisingly given their recent form, Reading had made a jittery start, with keeper Marcus Hahnemann struggling to clear under early pressure from Tuncay Sanli, then George Boateng firing well over the bar. But they settled and Shane Long caused Boro's first scare when he skipped around David Wheater into the home box, only for Emanuel Pogatetz to get back well and sweep up the danger.

    Long had an even better chance in the seventh minute when Liam Rosenior flung in an excellent cross from the right, but the Irishman headed over the bar from close range. Boro came close when Gary O'Neil's ninth minute corner fell at the feet of Pogatetz, who stabbed the ball dangerously back into a crowded goalmouth where Kevin Doyle hacked it behind. Busy Irishman Stephen Hunt should have done better for the visitors when he received John Oster's 16th minute cross in a good central position, only to snatch at his shot and send it over the bar.

    Downing fired a long-range, left-foot effort straight into Hahnemann's arms and minutes later was sent clear down the left by a perfectly weighted Afonso Alves pass, but his shot found the keeper again. With Boro beginning to get on top, Rosenior headed a dangerous Downing cross behind for another corner. Then Luke Young found the ball nicked off his toes as he looked to burst into the right side of the Reading box. But Jonathan Grounds' casual back-header in the 33rd minute let in the Royals, with Andre Bikey challenging keeper Mark Schwarzer and Doyle bundling the ball home, only for referee Howard Webb to rule a foul on the keeper.

    The close call gave the visitors more momentum, with Wheater having to pluck a dangerous ball from the head of Hunt and Schwarzer holding a Bikey flick-on from Hunt's free-kick. Rosenior was booked for bundling over Alves on the edge of the Reading box in the 41st minute and the Brazilian stepped up to fire a free-kick which a diving Hahnemann saved well to his left.

    Downing had Boro's first second-half chance in the 49th minute when Tuncay fed the England wide man into the left corner of the Reading box, but his shot was skewed horribly wide of Hahnemann's goal. Doyle headed a Rosenior cross over the bar for Reading, but the game continued to drift aimlessly, with very few clear-cut chances and a sense of mounting frustration in the stands. Hunt was booked for hauling down Young near the byline on the right edge of the Reading box in the 66th minute, but Downing summed up an increasingly dismal afternoon by flopping his set-piece into the side-netting.

    Gareth Southgate sought to spark the game into life by bringing on Mido in place of the worryingly ineffective Alves in the 68th minute, while Coppell also signalled his intentions by replacing Oster with striker Dave Kitson. Soon afterwards Downing was denied his spot-kick chance, Shorey was booked for tripping substitute Adam Johnson on the right and Downing's half-cleared free-kick eventually fell to Gary O'Neil, who blazed his effort inches over the bar. Then came the dramatic finale which saw Harper shoot coolly past Schwarzer before rushing to celebrate with his team-mates in front of the jubilant visiting fans behind the goal.

    Reading boss Steve Coppell hailed James Harper's dramatic last minute winner at the Riverside Stadium as a 'massive, massive boost' to his side's battle to escape from the relegation zone. Coppell said: "It was a great result for us. Having not won away from home all season we had to approach the game in a certain manner and our game-plan went reasonably well. We were mindful of the 120 minutes Middlesbrough had played in midweek and we knew it was going to be factor in the last 10 to 15 minutes and that proved to be the case. A clean sheet would have been significant and to get all three points was a massive, massive boost. Psychologically I hope it is is going to have a real long-term effect."

    But cool Coppell insisted he never gave up hope for a moment during his team's dismal run and he remains confident that the spirit amongst his players can spur them towards survival. Despite their victory, Reading remain in the bottom three on goal difference but are now within touching distance of a number of teams above them - and only four points behind Middlesbrough. Coppell added: "There are an awful lot of managers who are uncomfortable down at the bottom and that discomfort continues for ourselves. But we have that determination both individually and as a team."

    Disappointed Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate admitted his side had paid a heavy price for their 120 minute exertions in their midweek FA Cup replay against Sheffield United. Southgate said: "The way they play is full of energy and we knew we'd be lacking some of that today. But it's disappointing because we should have seen it through and we got caught with a sucker punch. We tried to freshen the team up a little bit but it was going to be one of those under-par days. Reading did a good job because they played in the way they knew would make us use as much energy as we had left."

    Instead of standing 10 points clear of the relegation zone Boro are now within four points of the bottom three and Southgate admitted his side face a long battle before securing survival. He added: "It could have been 10 points but it isn't. Anyone from ourselves down is conscious of what is going on around the league and as good a run as we've had we have still got to grind and scrap it out." Southgate admitted he had no complaints over the 77th minute incident in which Stewart Downing tumbled in the box but instead of being given a penalty was booked for diving. Southgate added: "It was hard to see because of the speed at which he was running, so if anything clips him it is going to knock him off balance. I think the referee probably made the right decision."