The Royals Review - What is going wrong at the Madejski!!!!!!
Hepburn is having a torrid time of it as of late getting his Reading team up and running and playing some decent football. They lie in 13th position in the Championship table and struggling to find form. Here is a run down of the last few games in Reading's season so far....
Championship
Sheffield United v Reading - (A) 18th October 2005
Next up for Reading was a trip to high flying Sheffield Utd managed by Rob Perry who has got them playing some brilliant football. It was tough on paper and proved too be far too tough for Reading as they were swept aside by Perry's Utd. They played them off the pitch in the first half with Reading putting up little resistance as they conceded four goals in only forty six minutes of football. Hepburn was in shock as he watched his team crumble before his eyes. Poor performance from the Royals and Hepburn was not a happy man as his team walked off the pitch.
Final Score - Sheffield Utd 4 v 1 Reading Goals - Sheff Utd - Lee San (33,43), Montgomery (45), Kabba (46) Goals - Reading - Little (74) Att - 28485 MOM - Alan Quinn (Sheffield Utd) Championship
QPR v Reading - (A) 22nd October 2005
After the humilation of the Sheffield Utd game, Hepburn wanted a big performance from his men to make up for that defeat. They faced QPR away and suffered yet another heavy defeat at the hands of the Londoners. It was a poor performance again from Reading and things are starting to look really bad for Reading. They got off to a great start when Lita put them ahead after a minute but it slowly went from bad to worse for Reading and by half time they were 3-1 down and no way back into the game.
Final Score - QPR 3 v 1 Reading Goals - QPR - Moore (16), Furlong (23), Rowlands (33) Goals - Reading - Lita (1) Att - 19104 MOM - Ian Evatt (QPR) Championship
Reading v Cardiff - (H) 30th October 2005
It was a welcome return to the Madejski after two very disappointing performances away from home. They welcomed Cardiff and again struggled to get going and create chances. In actual fact it was Cardiff who dominated this game and will feel un lucky not to have come away with all three points. Marcus Hahnemann in the Reading goal kept them in it with important saves but the pressure finally paid off when Ricketts put them ahead. Reading fought their way back into the game and got a surprise equaliser through an own goal from Willie Boland but they failed to build on this and had scraped a draw in the end which they really did not deserve. The fans booed the team off the pitch at the end and Hepburn was really starting to feel the pressure in his new job.
Final Score - Reading 1 v 1 Cardiff Goals - Reading - Boland (og,59) Goals - Cardiff - Ricketts (50) Att - 17274 MOM - Chris Barker (Cardiff) Championship
Reading v Brighton - (H) 1st November 2005
Reading were hot favourites in this one as they faced fellow strugglers Brighton at the Madejski and a slightly better performance but still no three points at the end of the ninety minutes. The started poorly and quickly found themselves two down inside twenty minutes as Brighton capitalised on Reading's poor start. They finally got going after being two down but could not find a way past Wayne Henderson in the Brighton goal. They dominated for much of the game but just could not break down a stubborn Brighton defence. Boos greeted the final whistle and Hepburn looked glum and downhearted as he walked off the pitch at the end.
Final Score - Reading 0 v 2 Brighton Goals - Brighton - Kazim-Richards (16,20) Att - 19189 MOM - Colin Kazim-Richards (Brighton) Championship
Crystal Palace v Reading - (A) 5th November 2005
The last thing Reading needed during this miserable run of form was a trip to face Paul Rouch's Crystal Palace who were banging in goals left, right and centre at the moment. It was a tight game and Reading played a lot better than they had done as of late. They went ahead after only twelve minutes after a Stephen Hunt penalty but Palace were soon level through Clinton Morrison. The game was turned out it's head when Reading's Stephen Hunt was sent off when he really should not have been as he was deemed last man away out on the right hand side of the pitch no where near the goal with defenders behind him!!!!
Hepburn was livid at the decision and was sent to the stand for his troubles and it turned into a few minutes of bedlam inside Selhurst Park as Hepburn refused to leave the technical area. The second half was dominated by Palace who made full use of the extra man but Reading defended superbly well and deserved a point just for their effort in the second half alone. Hepburn maybe in trouble but would this performance lift the spirits of everyone at the Madejski???
Final Score - Crystal Palace 1 v 1 Reading Goals - Palace - Morrison (28) Goals - Reading - Hunt (pen,12) Sent Off - Stephen Hunt (Reading) Att - 23398 MOM - Clinton Morrison (Crystal Palace) Championship
Reading v Millwall - (H) 19th November 2005
Hepburn was looking to build on the performance against Palace and up next for Reading was Millwall at the Madejski. Reading dominated the game in terms of possession and chances as they hardly gave Millwall a sniff throughout the ninety minutes. Dave Kitson put Reading in front early in the first half on his return from injury and it seemed to fill the rest of the team with some much needed confidence and they started playing some good football and finally giving the fans something to cheer about for a change. The second half got a bit nervy for Reading as they failed to score a second goal till late on through Glenn Little and finally the fans could start to celebrate..or so they thought as Millwall pulled one back through Ben May but it was not enough, as Reading celebrated their first win in a few games.
Final Score - Reading 2 v 1 MIllwall Goals - Reading - Kitson (18), Little (84) Goals - Millwall - May (90) Att - 24104 MOM - Glen Little (Reading) Championship
Wolves v Reading - (A) 27th November 2005
Next up for Reading was yet another tough away assignment at Sandy Pettigrew's Wolves, who were looking to back to winning ways after a few draws while Pettigrew was off on family business. Wolves were sitting just outside the play off positions and the bookies had them down as clear favourites for the game. It was a tough game for Reading as they dominated possession but Pettigrew's Wolves had the more cutting edge to their play. Reading had their chances as well and right on half time went a goal ahead through Dave Kitson to send the Reading fans wild. Wolves came out in the second half and dominated the game and at times Reading were hanging on a bit but they survived up until the seventy fourth minute when Delgado burst through and slotted the ball home from inside the area. In the final minutes it looked as if neither team wanted to win it as they both just kinda played out the final minutes and Reading were happy to settle for a draw and maintain this little run of form they have been on.
Final Score - Wolves 1 v 1 Reading Goals - Wolves - Delgado (74) Goals - Reading - Kitson (45) Att - 29364 MOM - Ibrahima Sonko (Reading) Championship
Reading v Stoke - (H) 3rd December 2005
It was back to the Madejski as Reading took on Stoke. A game that Reading dominated in terms of chances and possession yet they did not come out of this game with anything!!!! it really was a frustrating game for Hepburn as he saw his side play Stoke off the pitch but could not find a goal from anywhere. Stoke took an early lead through Scotland hopeful Paul Gallacher as they broke away on the counter attack. Reading passed up chance after chance as both Kitson and Lita were having a real off day in front of goal. Their build up at times was sensational but Simonsen in the Stoke goal pulled off a few brilliant saves to deny Reading. Hepburn managed a smile at the end as he knew how good a performance it was but was disappointed with the finishing from his team.
Final Score - Reading 0 v 1 Stoke Goals - Stoke - Gallacher (4) Att - 17929 MOM - Steve Hammell (Stoke) Championship
Southampton v Reading - (A) 10th December 2005
Although the performances were getting better for Reading they really needed to get points on the board and get them moving up the table. They faced a tough trip to face Southampton at St Mary's but they produced their best performance of the season. The star of the show was Kitson who was a real handful for the Southampton backline. He was causing all sorts of problems and Hepburn was delighted with him. Reading started brilliantly and found themselves 2-0 up inside ten minutes with both goals coming from Kitson. The Reading fans were going wild and well the rest of the stadium was stunned. New signing Kris Boyd pulled a goal back for Southampton but almost immediately Kitson went up the other end and grabbed his hat trick!!!! He then grabbed a fourth and even Hepburn was a bit stunned at what he was seeing here. Reading went in at half time 5-1 ahead!!!! All hell broke loose right on half time as Southampton had two players sent off as their disipline went right out the window. This was unbelievable stuff at St Mary's. In the second half Southampton then had another player sent off to put them down to eight men and Reading went for it even more but could not add to their tally. In fact it was Southampton who grabbed another goal, against the run of play of course through Svensson but the three points were already haeding back tot he Madejski long before that point. Sensational game of football and what a performance from Reading.
Final Score - Southampton 2 v 5 Reading Goals - Southampton - Boyd (19), Svensson (77) Goals - Reading - Kitson (6,8,22,34), Doyle (10) Sent Off - Hajto, Cahill, Belmadi (Southampton) Att - 18225 MOM - Dave Kitson (Reading)
So again things are looking better for Hepburn's Reading after some dismal performances but they look to have turned the corner and look capable of going on a good run of form and moving up the table and getting into one of those play off spots.
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