Reading FC

Nottingham Forest 2 Reading FC 1

By Matthew Sadler
January 16, 2010

First-half goals from Paul Anderson and Rob Earnshaw ensured Royals were brought crashing back down to Earth after their Anfield heroics.

Reading were second best throughout the opening 45 minutes and maybe should have been even further behind before the break.

They were much improved after the restart, but Brian Howard missed from the spot after Nicky Shorey was sent off for bringing down Jimmy Kebe and the Mali winger’s injury-time goal proved no more than a consolation.

Caretaker boss Brian McDermott made three changes to the side that started the FA Cup replay at Liverpool with Jay Tabb coming in for the injured Gylfi Sigurdsson, while there were debuts for Gunnar Thorvaldsson and Andy Griffin.

Forest started the brighter and Royals survived a few early scares as Earnshaw threatened to break through, but Reading could only hold for 11 minutes as the promotion chasers broke the deadlock.

Chris Cohen surged past the Royals defence after a neat exchange with Earnshaw and squared to Anderson who had the simple task of firing home into an empty net.

The home side were well in control and Dexter Blackstock had a chance to double the lead seven minutes later, but his header from an Anderson cross went wide.

Royals were being completely outplayed and were left chasing shadows as Forest controlled proceedings.

Earnshaw missed a golden opportunity to extend the lead fifteen minutes before the break when he volleyed straight at Federici after neat link-up play between former Royal Shorey, Blackstock and Cohen.

But the hosts were not to be denied and added to their tally with a minute of the first half remaining when Ivar Ingimarsson’s poor header fell to Cohen and the midfielder found the impressive Radoslaw Majewski.

The Poland international squared to Earnshaw who confidently sidefooted home.

Forest almost added a third in first-half injury time, but Blackstock dragged his shot wide after a neat through ball from Cohen.

Reading were a shadow of the side that beat Liverpool on Wednesday and McDermott had seen enough by the break and introduced Brian Howard at the expense of the ineffective Kalifa Cisse.

Royals were much improved after the restart and Thorvaldsson was denied twice in 60 seconds.

First his header from a Howard centre was kept out by Camp’s legs and then another goalbound header was superbly turned away by the keeper low to his right.

Reading were creating the chances and missed a glorious chance to get a foothold in the game after 67 minutes.

Substitute Jimmy Kebe latched onto a Jem Karcan through ball and was brought down in the area by Shorey.

The full-back was shown a straight red by referee Darren Deadman, but Howard’s well-struck penalty was parried away by Camp.

McDermott brought on Shane Long with 13 minutes to go and Howard missed another chance to give Royals a late lifeline when he fired over after good work from Thorvaldsson.

Royals did give the 707 away following something to celebrate in injury time when Kebe headed home a Howard cross, but by then it was too little too late.

Nottingham Forest: (4-4-2) Camp, Gunter, Morgan, Wilson, Shorey, Anderson, McKenna (c), Majewski (Chambers, 80 mins), Cohen, Earnshaw (Perch, 70 mins), Blackstock (Tyson, 83 mins).

Subs not used: McGugan, Adebola, McGoldrick, Smith.

Reading: (4-4-2) Federici, Griffin, Mills, Ingimarsson, Bertrand, McAnuff, Cisse (Howard, 46mins), Karacan, Tabb (Long, 77 mins), Thorvaldsson, Church (Kebe, 67 mins).

Subs not used: Hamer, Gunnarsson, Pearce, Rasiak.

Attendance: 27,635 (707 Royals)

Referee: Darren Deadman

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Neither happy or angry. Nottingham Forest are the form side in the league and have so much momentum there like a run away train and we don't have the brick wall to stop them.

First half they showed this, but Reading came out fighting in the second half and could of got a point from this game but didn't. Andy Griffin and Gunnar will need time to get back into the swing of things.

Griffin says he is a bit rusty and Gunnar has never played English football.

Are next 5 games are crucial to us staying up! they are all winnable and we will stay up!

C'mon Urrrzzzzzzz!!!!!

Keirantheroyal, Reading
22/01/2010 at 14:32

I was at the game, Royals were not up to much in the first half but lets not forget Forest are 2nd in league and are on a run - they weren't as potent as I thought up front but they are very well organised in defence and a lot of their attacks were on the break and going through their left winger Anderson who was very good and should not have been given so much time on the ball. Church worked very hard up front but was constantly out-muscled by Wes Morgan - it was a game where we could've done with the brawn and height of Kitson to hold the ball up. Also, why did Shane Long not come on earlier when he had played so well at Anfield? At least Royals played with more urgency, momentum and intelligence in the 2nd half and looked a lot like scoring than the 1st half.

MW
18/01/2010 at 14:51

Think people probably haven't taken into account the fact that Reading played 120mins then travelled from liverpool back and then back up to forest again, would maybe have been better to stay up and train somewhere, Players were a bit jaded, we were unlucky not to take a point on this one and i for one can see a big improvement in the team, results are just around the corner for us.

Russell B
18/01/2010 at 11:22

what a shame, least we did perform better in the 2nd half!!!!

Monkity, Reading
18/01/2010 at 11:08

1 win in 6 is hardly change or improvement. Given then progress that was being shown by BR do you think the Plymouth result and saturdays first half would have happened? Ivar, after playing so well at Liverpool looked awful. BM was right to make changes but he left Cisse in which was an error, Howard should have started and so should have Stig.

BR fan, Reading
18/01/2010 at 10:09

Well that relegation is looking alot closer.

Expom, Christchurch New Zealand
18/01/2010 at 09:13

the thing is all the 'rub of the green', 'unlucky with injuries','poor refereeing decisions' etc. at the end of the day are just excuses of a thousand relegated teams, i for one have had a gut full of hearing this from chairman, players and fans. it's time to start no longer looking for excuses and get on with the job in hand, that includes everyone from the chairman to the fans, YES THE FANS.time to start turning up on a saturday and instead of sitting on our a**es,moaning when a mistake happens, be loud, be standing, be screaming, but be behind the team.how many times has the away support been louder than us in the last 2 yrs. often i know,so all the fans who watch and don't sing and chant, take a long hard look at yourselves, and ask how can i show more passion than i do? when a player makes an error he does not need the whole of the east stand to groan in unison, he needs to hear reading til i die, IF THE FANS SHOW THE PASSION THE PLAYERS WILL FOLLOW AND RAISE THEIR GAME.

ajr111, swindon
17/01/2010 at 23:31

well some1 needs to learn how to type on this site...

"Royals did gave the 707 away following something to celebrate in injury time when Kebe headed home a Howard cross," wow thats a big error lol.

Dan The Man
17/01/2010 at 20:13

I totally agree with Robsey a new manager is going to have the same problems, its up to the hireachy to make some money available and purchase at least 4 experienced players, but we all know that this will not happen. I have been saying for the last 3 months that we will be in DIV one if they do not address this problem right now, I think SJM has lost all his passion in the club and should sell nthe club on to someone who wants to go forward also he should take HAMMOND with him.

VERY UNHAPPY READING FAN
17/01/2010 at 18:07

Certainly the first half display was woeful - but don't overlook how little luck the Royals have had in league games all season, and again at Forest.

If you wanted to nit-pick, Forest's first goal was set up after a foul on Ryan Bertrand... the second, watch the TV and note that Earnshaw is offside, always a yard ahead of the defenders... the penalty, watch the TV again and see how far - illegally - forward, the obnoxious, chest-thumping Mr Camp is when he saves Howard's kick...and then note how the ref calls back Shane Long when he's through on goal - to give a free kick to Reading.

They deserved a draw at least, which would have been a good result by the form book.

The only "genuine" nailed-on defeats have been home to Middlesbrough and Palace and away to QPR and Plymouth - in the rest there has been a significant lack of rub of the green.

Walter Wall , Reading
17/01/2010 at 15:45

The players motivated themselves for the game against Liverpool. McDermott failed to motivate the for the Forest game. He is not the man for the job. On tv for the cup game Steve Coppel was asked if he would return to Reading and he said "no one from the club has asked me" Come on Mr Chairman make the call before it is too late to avoid relegation!

Prospect, Reading
17/01/2010 at 13:45

comments have dried up now.

back to supporting Chelsea I see.

TheGoodOldDays
17/01/2010 at 09:47

Madjeski said What a great job Mcdermott and Hammond were doing on Friday, would he care to explain, Is Mcdermotts record any better than Rodgers was when he was sacked, so where is the improvement. Yet again he was getting carried away with one result at Liverpool, is he not aware that should two of the teams below Reading win there game in hand we go second from bottom. For christr sake Madjeski put sentiment to one side and go and get an experienced managerotherwise you could well be trying to sell a club in Division 1. One thought though, who would want to work with Hammond????

benji, Reading
17/01/2010 at 09:39

its you'll not your.if you insist on submitting ridiculous statements on here then please get your spelling correct

ritchierat, brighton
17/01/2010 at 08:59

Something seems to lacking some where in this team. How can you have a unbelievable win at liverpool and end up with a result like this? This is looking like a player problem, they are rising to the big games and not to the normal leauge games. They should be treating every game as a Liverpool game its called motivation, can McDermott give them confidence and a good kick up the a''' at the say time? We shall find out in the next few games.