REPORT: Reading 4 Rovers 1
Reading 4 Doncaster Rovers 1
Saturday, 19th October 2013 at the Madejski Stadium
Skybet League Championship
Referee – Mr Andy D’Urso
Attendance – 17,697 (569 visitors)
A cloudy but mild afternoon had the Rovers resuming their schedule after the international break with a game against Reading at the wonderful Madejski Stadium.
The home team set the ball rolling and kept good possession for the first ten minutes. A corner had come out of Rovers defence for Obita to shoot over from the edge of the penalty area and five minutes later the same Reading player had a go from distance but put it over the bar. Then in the 11th minute, following a Rovers attack, the home team broke quickly down the left and put Pogrebnyak away. He got to the byline and pulled the ball back for McCleary to chest down to GUTHRIE, who rifled into the net from just outside of the area.
Rovers won their first corner in the 14th minute but two minutes later the home side could and should have added to their score. Pogrebnyak crossed from the left to the far post where Le Fondre headed into the middle for Obita to head into the net from 3yards. Turnbull decided otherwise and diving to his right he clawed the ball away. Rovers gradually got into the game and in the 21st minute they attacked down their left, with Duffy and Wabara combining, but the cross was well defended and eventually cleared. A corner to the Rovers followed but nothing came from it.
In the 23rd minute, a tactical change for the Rovers brought Robinson on for Furman. Rovers then had their best spell. Brown had a shot saved, McCleary at the other end also had a twenty five yarder saved by Turnbull and a free kick from Duffy was too close to goal where Federici caught it easily. Then, in the 30th minute, a free kick from the edge of the penalty area, in the inside right position, from Duffy was going just inside the near post when Federici, diving left, pushed it away. But it went straight to ROBINSON, who fired the ball back into the roof of the net. Continuing to attack the Rovers left themselves open to the quick counter attack and twice in the succeeding minutes they were nearly caught out but managed to rectify the situation.
In the 37th minute, Khumalo headed just over from a corner by Duffy. Then, the 39th minute, a Rovers attack broke down, the ball was cleared out of the Reading defence to Obita, who made tracks at pace for the Rovers goal. He was held up in the Rovers penalty area, the ball ran loose and LE FONDRE stabbed it into the net from close range to put the home team back in front. A boost for them because after the Rovers goal they had looked unsettled.
Half Time – Reading 2 Doncaster Rovers 1
Rovers came out for the second half and had a good ten minutes, with Robinson having a couple of shots at goal, one over the bar and one saved. The match then evened out as Reading got back into the contest. It was mainly midfield play, with neither goalkeeper having more to do than field the ball. Then, in the 75th minute, Rob Jones was fouled and bundled into the back of the net, requiring several minutes of attention before going off. As the Rovers had used their three substitutes they were down to ten men. Immediately the home team made their numerical superiority pay off when Robson-Kanu went down the left and crossed to the edge of the penalty area where an unmarked McCLEARY fired wide of Turnbull in the 80th minute.
Minutes later Robinson fired into the side netting but this was an isolated attack by the ten men. It was mostly backs to the wall stuff for the Rovers as the 4th official indicated seven minutes of added time. Robinson had a crack at goal that Federici had to dive to his left and push away for a corner. Then, in the last minute of added time came the final blow when POGREBNYAK received to the left of the six yard area and rifled the ball into the net. The whistle then went for the end of the game.
Result – Reading 4 (Guthrie 11 Le Fondre 39 McCleary 80 Pogrebnyak 90+7) Doncaster Rovers 1 (Robinson 30)
Teams – Reading – Adam Federici; Chris Gunter, Alex Pearce, Sean Morrison ©, Wayne Bridge; Danny Guthrie, Garath McCleary, Chris Baird, Jordan Obita, Pavel Pogrebnyak, Adam Le Fondre
Subs used – Hal Robson-Kanu for Le Fondre 62 mins; Jobi McAnuff for Obita 73 mins; Hope Akpan for Guthrie 83 mins;
Subs not used – Stephen Kelly, Kaspars Gorkss, Nick Blackman, Stuart Taylor gk
Cautions- Baird, 69 mins;
Doncaster Rovers – Ross Turnbull; Paul Quinn, Bongani Khumalo, Rob Jones ©, Reece Wabara; Mark Duffy, Richie Wellens, Paul Keegan, Dean Furman; James Coppinger, Chris Brown
Subs used – Theo Robinson for Furman 23 mins; Billy Paynter for Brown 64 mins; Kyle Bennett for Coppinger 72 mins;
Subs not used – David Cotterill, Luke McCullough, Marc de Val, Jon Maxted gk
Cautions – Wellens 85 mins;