Royals celebrate play-off place

30 April 2011 18:30
Reading sealed their place in the npower Championship play-offs with a point from an entertaining goalless stalemate with Coventry at a sun-soaked Ricoh Arena. The fifth-placed Royals went into the game knowing a draw would be enough and so it proved, although the goalless scoreline fails to do justice to what was an enjoyable encounter full of openings and well-worked play. Both sides could well have taken the spoils on an afternoon when goalkeeping brilliance and some wayward finishing dominated over killer instinct in attack. A bumper crowd of 22,436 watched Shane Long and Noel Hunt fail to convert Reading`s clearest openings while impressive Coventry enjoyed even further opportunities, with Lukas Jutkiewicz, David Bell, Marlong King and Richard Keogh all going close. Brian McDermott`s side may have the play-offs and the possibility of Barclays Premier League football to look forward to, but the future also appears bright for the Sky Blues under Andy Thorn, who was taking charge of his first match since being appointed permanent manager on Thursday. Goalkeeper Keiren Westwood, offered a latest new contract by Coventry two days ago with his current deal set to expire, was denied what may have been his final appearance in front of the Ricoh Arena faithful by an apparent shoulder injury.

Source: PA