Reading 0-1 Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town have salvaged something from their weak challenge for a play off space with an entertaining display against Reading away.

Reading (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Rosenior (Matejovsky 74), Armstrong, Duberry, Pearce; Gunnarsson, Harper (c), Little, S Hunt (Kebe 64); Kitson, Long (Doyle 69)
Subs: Federici; Cisse.

Ipswich (4-4-2): R Wright; D Wright, Thatcher, Balkestein, McAuley; Miller, Norris, Quinn (Garvan 80), Civelli; Lisbie (Counago 90), Stead (Dos Santos 71)
Subs: Supple; Campo.
Yellow: Thatcher, Garvan.

Ref: M Oliver
Att: 20,592

Updates
2pm - Dave Kitson and Marcus Hahnemann both start for Reading this afternoon. There are a total of four changes, with James Harper and Brynjar Gunnarsson also coming in. Adam Federici, Kalifa Cisse, Marek Matejovsky and Kevin Doyle all miss out and drop to the bench. Jimmy Kebe is back to take his place among the subs. There is no room for Jay Tabb or Noel Hunt in the 16.

2:10pm - For the first time since Wolves, it appears an opposition team will come to Madejski Stadium and play two up front. Jon Stead comes into the team and partners Kevin Lisbie. Giovani Dos Santos, signed from Tottenham last night, is on the bench. There are two changes - Stead in, and Gareth McAuley replaces Ivan Campo.

2:15pm - Bet365 have Dave Kitson as an 11/2 shot to open the scoring on this his second Reading debut. Glen Little is 12/1. Get your bets in before the game, and you can also have a punt on limited markets during the 90 minutes.

1 min - The first action sees Jon Stead run onto a Lisbie flick on but he's caught offside. Dave Kitson chants echo around the ground after the big striker gets his first touches.

3 mins - So close to a very poetic breakthrough. Glen Little whips a good cross in and Kitson gets his head to it. It loops over Richard Wright and grazes the crossbar on its way over.

9 mins - Glen Little powers through a challenge which leaves him bent double on the ground but Kitson is onto it. He works it back to Gunnarsson, who finds Hunt on the left, but Richard Wright is out to gather the ball at Hunt's feet quickly. Goos move from the Royals.

11 mins - Balkestein blocks off a Little run and Reading have a free kick in a dangerous position here. Hunt takes it, it spirals off the wall and wide for a corner. Little swings it in but the referee blows for a foul inside a busy penalty area.

14 mins - Another fantastic run from Little sees him play a flat cross into the middle. Kitson gets a toe to it but the referee blows again for a foul by Kitson.

15 mins - Kitson taps it back to Harper inside the Reading half and Harper sprays it long looking for Long. He does well to control it and race down the left channel, and he wins a corner when his cut back is blocked behind. Once again a foul on Richard Wright is the decision and Ipswich have a free kick after the corner was a god one.

18 mins - Long with some space down the right this time. He cuts inside onto his left boot and drives a 20-yard effort towards the near post. Wright is covering well though and saves without too much trouble.

24 mins - Quinn tries his luck from distance and Marcus Hahnemann has to muddy his shirt getting down low to his left to gather under no real pressure.

29 mins - Reading's threatening start has subsided a little. Ipswich are starting to pass it about it bit.

30 mins - But Harper then tests Wright at the other end. Rosenior's ball into Long is fizzed in and Long can only cushion a header into the air. It drops to Harper who takes a good first touch before sweeping a left-footed effotrt low towards the bottom right corner. Wright reacts well though and saves comfortably.

32 mins - Hunt wins a free kick which is launched into the box. Ipswich don't clear it immediately and Kitson, being held, tries to force a shot through bodies and towards goal. It is half blocked though so it dribbles through to Wright harmlessly.

36 mins - Little is dispossessed in midfield and Lisbie has it on the left. He picks out Stead at the far post, who tees up Miller, but the midfielder spoons a first time effort high over the bar.

39 mins - Long does well down the right and he crosses a low ball into the box. Kitson does well to get his toe to it first and it skids agonisingly beyond Harper's control when it seemed it might fall for the midfielder 10 yards out.

43 mins - Pearce commits himself to a header he doesn't make and Stead finds Civelli. Rosenior slides to block the midfielder's effort and does well.

45 mins - A Stephen Hunt corner is too depp for everyone and the PA announcer tells us that 1 minutes of additional time is about to begin.

HALF TIME - It's been lacklustre for most of the opening half. But a scrappy 1-0 will certainly suffice - so Ipswich just need to find a way through.

46 mins - And it is Ipswich who have taken the lead. A nothing cross from the right is powered home with a brilliant overhead kick from Jon Stead. Reading are behind again! Great finish.

48 mins - Little's free kick is poor and the right winger is bundled off the ball by Norris who breaks at pace. He covers 40 yards and seems certain to slide it into Civelli to his left, but instead shoots and Hahnemann saves quite comfortably.

50 mins - Little has another chance to deliver from a free kick 35 yards out and this time it's floated for Kitson at the far post. He dives and connects but his header flies just over the bar.

54 mins - A good overlap by Armstrong sees the left back make ground down the left. He touches it to Little, who stands a cross up to the far post but it's just behind Long and an Ipswich head can clear it.

58 mins - Long wins a free kick but Little's delivery is too deep. Wright launches Ipswich back onto the attack and Civelli leads the break. He doesn't have much in support but he still manages to get past Armstrong and cross into the near post where Lisbie is lurking. Rosenior is there to touch it behind for a corner.

63 mins - Little's corner is cleared back to him and he delivers an excellent first tim ball towards the far post. Duberry rises and wins the header but an Ipswich leg has to clear his header off the line. Half the crowd thought that was in.

64 mins - Reading substitution. Hunt is withdrawn for Jimmy Kebe.

69 mins - Kevin Doyle is now introduced for Shane Long.

70 mins - Gunnarsson is caught dwelling on the ball and Stead races away. Duberry is backing off and Stead shoots 25 yards out high and wide of Hahnemann's goal.

71 mins - Ipswich substitution. Stead is replaced by Giovanni Dos Santos.

72 mins - Kebe with the time to pick out a cross from the left, pings it into the middle where Little is arriving. He volleys first time at goal but its straight at Wright who clings onto it.

74 mins - Matejovsky is now thrown on for Rosenior. The final throw of the dice.

76 mins - Gunnarsson from right back finds Little in right midfield. He feeds Kitson who crosses it into the middle. Doyle can't quite win the header but it falls back to Little, who stands a great cross up to the far post. It's too high for Doyle, Kebe lashes aross the face of goal, Kitson dives in but can't connect and the danger disappears.

77 mins - Then at the other ene, Quinn chips a cross into the box from the left, and Lisbie has a free header 8 yards out. He directs it down but Hahnemann claws is away with a great save low to his left.

80 mins - Ipswich substitution. Owen Garvan replaces Quinn.

85 mins - An injury stoppage holds play up. The atmosphere is somewhat subdued.

86 mins - Liitle gets it into feel and he turns it out to Kitson. He takes a touch before looking to stab it past Wright from a narrow angle on the right. It's bundled out by a Ipswich challenge for a corner, which comes to nothing.

90 mins - When it should be Reading piling on the pressure instead it is Lisbie who has a good chance to make the points safe. He stays onside to race onto Civelli's pass, but scuffs his left footed effort and Hahnemann can easily gather.

90(+2) mins - Lisbie is replaced by Counago for the final few minutes.

FULL TIME - Another dreadully disappointing performance and result for Reading while a relatively brilliant good one for Ipswich. Auto-Promotion is fast slipping through Reading's hands, however its slowly getting there for Ipswich.