READING FC 3-0 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Team
Westwood, Wright, Hussey (Cranie 46), McPake (Wood 89), Barnett, Clingan, Gunnarsson, Deegan, Bell (Baker 71), Sears, Morrison. SNU Konstantopolous, Hall, Jeffers, Clarke
Reading
Federici, Mills, Tabb, Griffin, McAnuff, Kebe (Robson-Kanu 83), Karcan (B.Gunnarsson 67), Bertrand, Khizanishvil, Rasiak (Bignall 77). SNU Hamer, Long, Siguardson, Pearce
HT RFC 3-0 CCFC FT RFC 3-0 CCFC
ATT 17, 435
Referee A. Woolmer
Booked Gunnarsson, Mills, Morrison, Barnett, Deegan, Robson-Kanu
Goals Grzegorz Rasiak (14), Simon Church pen (21), Jimmy Kebe (39)
Man Of The Match. The City supporters for watching this garbage.
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There were calls for the dismissal of Chris Coleman and/or Steve Harrison amongst some of the very disgruntled Sky Blues support as Coventry City conceded three first half goals to lose 3-0 at Reading.
Chris Coleman made four changes to the side, which had been beaten on Saturday for a game played on a pitch resembling a beach.
The heavily sanded surface must have given the City players the idea they were on their holidays, rather than involved in a football match against a side whose recent run of form under Brian McDermott has given the Royals an outside chance of a play-off place.
Reading, had like most clubs, sussed that Stephen Wright is susceptible and attacked down his side from the start.
As the City support which numbered about a thousand and included three from Norway plus a good number of supporters from London and the Home Counties, Sussex, Southampton, South Wales, Cambridgeshire, and the rest from the Midlands, taunted those from a town full of Chelsea fans, Gary Deegan, had to clear a corner off the line, conceded in the sixth minute when Jobi McAnuff had got past Wright.
Freddie Sears never got the ball when the Sky Blues did go forward and although Morrison fired well wide and Gunnarsson blasted over, the Sky Blues went a goal down in the 14th minute.
Jobi McAnuff ripped Wright to shreds, following a surging run before he crossed and Grzegorz Rasiak reacted to a blocked shot to send the ball into the corner of the net from six yards.
Jay Tabb, who was reasonably well applauded by the City support volleyed over and McAnuff beat Wright again for another corner before the hapless right back conceded a penalty when he fouled Ryan Bertrand in the 21st minute.
Simon Church was given the task of taking the spot kick and although, Westwood guessed right, the ball just beat him into the net.
Church had the ball in the net again two minutes later. It was ruled out but it did not stop the City fans from demanding that Chris Coleman sorted things out with immediate effects.
By now, Reading were queueing up to shoot, meaning that James McPake who was the only City defender who seemed to know what he was doing, had to do plenty of clearing his lines.
In the 39th minute, it was 3-0, when a long ball over from Church, was stroked home by the unmarked Jimmy Kebe at the edge of the area.
Some City fans headed for the bar and one was ejected at the interval, that saw Chris Hussey replaced by Martin Cranie.
Womble may have been blamed for the third goal but there were questions being asked by the City support as to why Wright had not been replaced as well.
Within twenty seconds of the restart, David Bell had won a corner, sparking cheers from the City fans. Then in the 49th minute, there was a massive cheer as Aron Gunnarsson fired a shot directly at Federici.
There were more cheers and songs from the City following as the Reading keeper dived to his right to push away a volley from Sears.
On the hour mark, Matty Mills, who was only playing due to Reading appealing against his dismissal against Ipswich, hacked down Sears. There followed a melee, which saw the fourth official on the pitch in the penalty area in front of the City fans. The former City loanee got away with a caution as did Clinton Morrison for some pushing and shoving, incited by known sledger Andy Griffin.
Carl Baker was sent on in place of David Bell and spent most of the time covering Gary Deegan who today was more of a poodle than a pitbull.
"We're sh#t and we're sick of it" sang some of the City supporters as Leon Barnett wasted a good chance. Like Barnett, Sears wasted another good chance with four minutes before McPake was replaced by Richard Wood.
The end of a miserable afternoon came and the look on Keiren Westwood, who threw his red keepers jersey into the away end, matched those of a very unhappy Sky Blue Army who had wasted another day following the Sky Blues.