Reading FC

Midfielder Jay Tabb had never previously scored for Royals
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Hat-tricks for Tabb and Le Fondre as Reading FC hit Bray for eight

By Jonny Fordham
September 03, 2012

Unlikely hero Jay Tabb scored a hat-trick in Reading FC's 8-1 win at Bray Wanderers before jokingly firing a warning shot at Tottenham Hotspur.

Fringe midfielder Tabb hadn't scored since October 2008 and has never converted for Royals.

But he filled his boots at the Carlisle Grounds on Sunday with Adam Le Fondre also bagging three and Alex Pearce and Jem Karacan the others.

"I haven't scored since 2008 - yet the gaffer has just told me that I'm starting up front against Spurs (on Sunday, September 16)," Tabb joked.

"I thought we started really well and we could have scored three or four early on. But then they scored, which knocked us back a bit.

"What the gaffer asked of us before the game is that we came away from it with our reputations held, and I think that's what we did.

"We were up early to catch a flight and it was quite a long day - it would have been easy to come here and to have not given it our all.

"But you can see from the way we closed them down and approached the game from the off, that our attitude was good and we got our rewards from it.

"It turned out to be a good exercise for us in the end. It was good for a lot of the lads to get ninety minutes in, some of the lads who haven't featured much so far this season.

"And this is a nice lead into the Tottenham game, we look forward to the game with a bit of confidence and a good work out behind us."

With 13 days until Reading's next Premier League game, manager Brian McDermott was keen to give his squad who weren't on international duty minutes under the belt.

And he added: "We needed this game. By the time we play our next Premier League game, we'll have played two games and everyone else will have played four.

"So we've come here today, needing get a get a game somewhere in Europe, and I have to thank Pat Devlin, the Bray manager, who did us a real favour by accommodating us.

"The welcome we've had is fantastic. The hotel we're staying in is first-class and everything about this trip has been superb. I can't thank them enough.

"A lot of players needed the ninety minutes today and everyone's come through unscathed and with a game under our belts. That was really important."

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bloody predictive text thwarting = watching

poru, Bournemouth
05/09/2012 at 06:46

got to have something to do whilst we wait for the spurs game. cannot be bothered with thwarting internationals anymore. lost any interest following the 2010 wc display. There is not the passion in our game anymore wish they would can international for good. they are such a ball ache and waste of time!

poru, Bournemouth
04/09/2012 at 23:32

Big P why should i be on stage, for talking more sense then you!

If you are going to comment try add something worth reading. Bray Pop of 31,000! Will build on the link with Bray and Ireland. If you think it was a waste of time what should we of done or who should we played? Back you comments here!

Try understand football is now a business and the brand has to be promoted (something not done in the past). Anton is aware of the great location we have as being the only EPL team outside of London and in the South West. More People coming to watch means more money = more money to attract better players......sure you would like that

Reading1987
04/09/2012 at 13:30

4 really insightful comments from Danny0367 there, I guess he's with Big P & Cummentator on this one...good one.

Lester Crinklesack
04/09/2012 at 10:54

""And this is a nice lead into the Tottenham game, we look forward to the game with a bit of confidence and a good work out behind us.""

Ha ha ha, OMG.

Danny0367, Chorley, Lancashire
04/09/2012 at 09:22

"We were up early to catch a flight and it was quite a long day - it would have been easy to come here and to have not given it our all."

Are you having a giraffe ?

Danny0367, Chorley, Lancashire
04/09/2012 at 09:20

Did McD have a few too many Guinesses on one of his previous scouting trips and lost an arm wrestle ?

Danny0367, Chorley, Lancashire
04/09/2012 at 09:18

Hmmmmm, we beat Bray Wanderers....WOW....

Danny0367, Chorley, Lancashire
04/09/2012 at 09:17

Wow, Bray Wanderers, I'm sure Spurs will be trembling with fear!

The Commentator
04/09/2012 at 08:33

Boy !!!! Tuning in here is better than going to a game, seems far more excitment Hoops and Big P. Settle down guy's after all it's only a game.

Too early in the season to be judgemental. Let Mc D sort things out, that is if he is able to. The big boys are far more equipted than Bray. Going to be a tough season.

Revs1031, Minnesota
04/09/2012 at 00:36

Ah, Big P, ever the optimist as usaul. As Reading 1987 says, It was purely a fitness exercise and part of the pierce Sweeney deal that we play Bray at some point.

Without it, the players would've been back to square one in terms of match fitness with no game for three weeks.

TilehurstSouthbank, Tilehurst, Reading
03/09/2012 at 16:30

Everyone criticized Steve Coppell when he took the lads abroad on pre season and played lower league "pub" teams, even Sidwell. We ended up mid table that year. The game was scheduled as part of the transfer deal of the Irish lads so FFS bottle it. No harm was done and the lads had a run out which they all enjoyed. It also no doubt contributed to team bonding. Big Brian McD knows what he's doing so don't upset him as I'm sure he reads these comments. We have done OK so far so lets all stick together. Forget the window (it's history now) and get on with supporting the lads so that we survive.

askan
03/09/2012 at 15:50

Reading 1987

I was wondering what the P in 'Big P' stand for too. I have a few ideas but most of them wouldn't make it past moderation............

Anyway just let him carry on drinking out of his half empty glass. Some people can't be helped and aren't worth bothering with.

RBC Traffic Management are Useless, Calcot
03/09/2012 at 13:46

Reading1987.

You should be on stage mate. Hysterical. The way to success is of course to have big brand awareness in Bray (population: 14 farmers and a few goats).

Personally, being a football fan, I would much rather have success on the pitch, helped by training matches against challenging opponents, not knackered, Irish pub players.

Big P, Reading
03/09/2012 at 13:05

Of corse it was a useful exercise in keeping up match fitness! Think Big P (wonder what P stands for) is also failing to see the trip as a good way of the promoting the Reading brand! Not saying we are going to be as big as United in Asia but will help build links