Reading 3 Rotherham 0
scored second
By Matt Lond & J Bateman
February 23 2003
A rampant Reading keep defying the First Division odds and galloped to a deserved 3-0 win over Ronnie Moore's Millers.
3-0 Att: 14,816 A great first-half performance earned
Reading a fifth consecutive league victory and maintained their slim hopes of
automatic promotion from Division One. Goals from James Harper, Andy Hughes and
Nicky Forster in the opening 45 minutes steered Alan Pardew's men to three easy
points against a Millers side who had no reply to the Royals' masterclass in
attacking football. The Millers still have an outside chance of making the
play-offs and battled back gamely in the second half but were unable to dent the
Reading defence. Reading opened the scoring on the quarter-hour mark when
Forster waltzed his way past two defenders on the right wing before cutting the
ball back into the path of the oncoming Harper, whose strike from 18 yards
nestled in to the top right-hand corner of the net. Soon after, Reading doubled
their advantage courtesy of Hughes' unstoppable 20-yard strike and this was
added ten minutes later, just before half time when the inspirational Forster
scored his fourth goal in three games, although controversially. A long ball
into the Millers half saw Forster in a clear offside position but the linesman
deemed the striker not to be interfering with play and waved play-on. Hughes
picked the ball up on the right wing and sent over a pinpoint delivery that
found Forster who coolly slid the ball home from six yards. Rotherham weren't to
be deterred and they ceated their own fine spell in the second half, and had
chances to score from Alan Lee and substitute Andy Monkhouse who shots were
saved by Marcus Hahnemann, who registered his 14th clean sheet of the season.
Reports Courtesy Of Matt Lond
Reading
Rotherham
Harper 15
Hughes 32
Forster 40
