Reading change their luck

A James Harper injury time winner at the Riverside ended Reading’s run of eight successive defeats. In a game that had few ideas, Harper produced the best one when he stabbed home a Stephen Hunt pass in the dying moments of the game. Hunt’s low pass evaded Dave Kitson, but was falling into the path of Harper who kept the ball down and kept his head too, to steal all of the points.

Harper’s winner was greeted by the home supporters with muted dismay mainly because Middlesbrough had created enough chances to win the game themselves. Perhaps, that feeling of injustice is a fair one from the Teesiders’ perspective. Stewart Downing was Middlesbrough’s best player of the afternoon. The England international had a neat shot blocked by the hands of Marcus Hahnemann, but as Downing tried to claim a penalty moments before Harper’s goal, he was adjudged by the referee to have dived and was booked. Gary O’Neill could also have struck for the home side, but had a shot just whistle over the Reading cross bar. Hahnemann was also called into action to deny Middlesbrough’s new signing Afonso Alves. The Brazilian struck a dangerous free kick, but Reading’s American international was equal to it.

Reading’s performance may have proved unpopular on Teeside, but there is no denying that the hard work of Reading deserved at the very least a point. What is more, Reading had put the ball in the net earlier in the game, but Kevin Doyle’s goal was chalked off for a foul on Mark Schwarzer, the Middlesbrough goalkeeper. Shane Long had also had a chance to give Reading the lead in the opening exchanges of the game, but could only head over Liam Rosenior’s cross.

There’s no doubt that Middlesbrough was disappointed with the result. Gareth Southgate may have been mindful of Middlesbrough’s midweek FA Cup replay against Sheffield United being taken to extra time. However, that point denigrates Reading’s desire to not give up. Instead Steve Coppell’s men have stayed united and resilient in the face of such difficult fortunes since the turn of the year and have been ably rewarded with this magnificent win.

The neutral may dispute the use of the word magnificent in the context of a game that was not brimming with goalmouth opportunities. However, if Reading could chisel out a crucial chance in the closing moments of a game and a player of James Harper’s composed coolness steps up to take it, especially in the face of such rotten recent luck, whose to say that Reading don’t deserve to be described as magnificent? The first away win of the season was grouped with the first clean sheet since October 7th and of course the first points of 2008. Here’s to many more!

By Stuart Croucher