Royals Reap Rewards

Another home defeat!
By Rogero
March 17 2004

Back to earth on Tuesday night as City performed like a mid table team and not one aiming for the play-offs!! Once again the players let themselves down, after a great win against Norwich City, with a weak defensive display against Steve Coppell's Reading. 3 goals from 3 headers...

Cardiff started without recent signing Paul Parry, who has been the "find" of the season. Richard Langley was in the starting line up and to be honest had a stinker.

Reading on the fringe of the play offs were looking to do the double over City having won in Berkshire earlier in the season.

Despite being without Grahan Kavangh, Lee Bullock did not make the starting eleven, but we are used to Lennie's tactics by now. Which have contributed to a team that has lost, in all competitions, eight times at home this season! To my mind that is a poor record for a highly paid and expensive squad.

Back to the action and Reading, cheered on by a vocal contingent of around 700, went ahead after 38 minutes. A delay, when the first refereeing change of the evening took place, caused City to lose all their concentration and allowed a John Salako cross to be headed in by Ivar Ingimarsson.

In a scramble at the Canton End four minutes later Langley had a shot cleared, but Alan Lee passed the ball to Earnshaw who scored from 8 yards. He is good at that! Relief all round the ground!

Reading scored right at the end of the first half and again it came from a cross and was headed in by the ginger striker David Kitson.

Debutant Lee Bullock equalised with a well placed shot from the edge of the area following a n interchange of passes between Whalley and Langley.

City then wasted a couple of easy looking chances, one notably with the ball rolling along the Reading goal line with Earshaw unable to make contact. My man of the match John Robinson showed his frustration after another near miss!

The third Reading goal, and the winner followed.. Danny Gabbidon was left stranded in the middle of the area, trying to get in front of Dean Morgan, but the ball flew over his head and Morgan was left unmarked to head past Margetson. Margetson had a poor game and his place looks in doubt for the trip to Crewe on Staurday. After another delay for another substitute ref Earnshaw broke and raced towrds the Grange End but he shot well wide as the final whistle blew.

The result ends all hope and should end all talk of the play offs. We would have settled for mid table mediocrity before the season started, but expectation has been high, perhaps too high. However the players have not performed week in / week out.