Brighton 0:1 Reading - 1871Royals Match Report

COCA COLA CHAMPIONSHIP

MATCH REPORT

Steve Coppell made no changes from the team that produced such a poor performance at Rotherham a week before. Lloyd Owusu failed to recover from a neck injury so Nicky Forster earned a recall to the bench.

Reading enjoyed plenty of possession throughout the contest with Brighton struggling to create many openings until the final ten minutes of the match.

The game was certainly not a spectacle in front of the live Sky cameras with the first half particularly poor with The Royals controlling proceedings but unable to create many real openings for the forwards.

Half Time: Brighton 0:0 Reading

The second half continued in much of the same way as the first, though The Royals did looked more threatening in the final third.

Brighton manager Mark McGhee must have slowly begun to think it was not going to be his day as he saw three of his players forced off, Adam Hinshelwood and Kerry Mayo both departed through injury while striker Mark McCammon was substituted at half time through illness.

Steve Coppell changed things around on the hour with the introduction of out of favour striker Nicky Forster to replace Dean Morgan. And Forster was to make an immediate impact scoring just five minutes after being introduced to score the only goal of the game. Forster's first attempt on goal from a Glen Little cross was saved but the rebound hit Forster and the ball was in the back of the net. Controversy surrounded the goal however as Forster's original effort looked to have hit the players hand but the goal was given much to Mark McGhee's frustration.

Late on The Royals were forced to defend well to keep the Seagulls at bay. Brighton captain Charlie Oatway missed a good opportunity from a knockdown in the penalty box and with basically the last kick of the game a Leon Knight free kick hit the side netting to the relief of the Reading fans located behind that goal.

The Royals did hang on and secured there first away league win since Leicester City in December. It was a precious three points and also just maybe kept up Nicky Forster's chances of being rewarded with a new contract.

To see a round-up of all the weekends Championship results please Click Here

Full Time: Brighton 0:1 Reading

Man Of The Match: Ivar Ingimarsson

A rock at the back. As usual did all the basics well and helped to make sure of another clean sheet.

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Special Thanks to www.albionalbum.co.uk for supplying the pictures of the Withdean Stadium.

NEXT LEAGUE MATCH

2nd April 2005, Madejski Stadium, 3:00 PM Kick Off

Please Click Here for ticket information regarding this game

Make sure to check out 1871Royals special report from Old Trafford on England's International Qualifier against Northern Ireland this Saturday.