• Date: Sun 24 February 2008
  • Venue: Madejski Stadium
  • Ref: Atkinson, M
  • Attendance: 23,889
Reading

Reading

Shorey (90)

1 - 2
Aston Villa

Aston Villa

Young, A (45)

Harewood (83)

Reading vs Aston Villa

Team Lineups

Reading

Marcus Hahnemann
Graeme Murty
Ibrahima Sonko
Nicky Shorey
Stephen Hunt
Kalifa Cisse (Ivar Ingimarsson, 71)
John Oster (Jimmy Kebe, 58)
Marek Matejovsky
James Harper
Kevin Doyle (Shane Long, 71)
Dave Kitson

Aston Villa

Scott Carson
Martin Laursen
Wilfred Bouma
Curtis Davies
Gareth Barry
Craig Gardner
Nigel Reo-Coker (Isaiah Osbourne, 86)
Shaun Maloney (Marlon Harewood, 73)
John Carew
Ashley Young, A
Gabriel Agbonlahor


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

That goal is virtually the last kick and it finishes 2-1, Young and Harewood's goals enough for Villa - who are level on points now with Everton and Liverpool.

90
Goal
 

Shorey's free-kick goes past Carson to make it 2-1

90

Into injury time and Carew chips over - that should really have been 3-0

90

Kitson's header is brilliantly saved by Carson before Gardner clears

88

Murty does really well to block Carew at the back post as Villa break quickly again

87
Substitution
 

Reo-Coker goes off and Isaiah Osbourne comes on

85

That will surely seal the win for Villa now

84
Goal
 

Young breaks clear on the counter-attack and plays in Harewood who makes it 2-0

83

Harper's corner at the other end is cleared - plenty of effort from the home side but no real chances

81

Harewood's shot is awful and goes out for a throw-in

79

Time running out now for Reading as Villa win another corner from which Young calls Hahnemann into a great save

76

Carew forces Hahnemann into a good save - still frantic and very end-to-end now

74
Substitution
 

Villa make a change too - Maloney going off to be replaced by Marlon Harewood

72
Substitution
 

Doyle is also replaced by Shane Long

72
Substitution
 

Reading make a double change - Ivar Ingimarsson on for Cisse

71

Barry's poor back-pass gives Shorey a chance but he blasts it over

69

Carson has to turn a wickedly delivered free-kick behind for a corner - a chance for Reading though

68

Agbonlahor blasts a cross-shot over the bar with Young in a good position

68

Reading are enjoying their best spell of the game but still they trail as Carson comes out well to claim the ball at Hunt's feet

65

Cisse wins a corner - better from Reading

64

Shorey's shot is spilled by Carson and Reading almost equalise but Villa desperately manage to clear

63

Carew does well and wins Villa a corner but eventually the Reading defence clear it

60

Young slips as he's about to cross and the chance goes begging - the pace of the game is still good

59
Substitution
 

Coppell makes a change, John Oster going off for Jimmy Kebe

59

Reading need to find something - they're really lacking in confidence it seems today as they waste a corner

56

Agbonlahor's cross is mis-controlled at the back post by Young - another good break though from the visitors

54
Yellow Card
 

Shorey's free-kick is well cleared by Laursen before Marek Matejovsky commits a foul and is booked too

52
Yellow Card
 

Gardner fouls Hunt and becomes the second player to be booked

52

Carew has a bit of space but the Reading defence deals with him well

50

Young breaks forward at pace again but Reading do well to stop him

49

Reading win three corners in quick succession but they all come to nothing - much better from the Royals

46

Hunt breaks forward well but Villa's defence holds firm - a bright start to the half from the home side though

Second half
 

The second period gets underway

Half time
 

Villa go into the break in front thanks to Young's late goal, but they could be 2-0 up but for Barry's missed penalty

45
Goal
 

Young turns home Gabriel Agbonlahor's cross from close range just before half time to put Villa in front

44

Young's delivery from the free-kick is dangerous but Martin Laursen is offside

43
Yellow Card
 

Ibrahima Sonko is booked for a foul on Carew - the first yellow of the game

42

Hunt goes down after a collision with Nigel Reo-Coker but it's not foul - despite the home fans' claims

41

A poor cross again from Villa - it's been a frustrating half all round

38

Villa have definitely had the better of the half but they too have been poor in the final third

35

Barry is normally so good from the spot but that was a poor effort and Villa have wasted a great chance to lead

33

Gareth Barry blasts the penalty high and wide - a poor spot kick from the Villa skipper

32
Penalty
 

Another Villa corner ends with Craig Gardner's shot being handled by Kalifa Cisse - penalty to Villa

31

Carson easily claims a poor cross at the other end

30

Murty heads behind for another corner in quick succession to Villa from which Davies' shot is comfortable for Hahnemann

28

Carew's shot from some way out deflects behind for a corner

26

Villa boss Martin O'Neill has a face-to-face with Harper after contesting the award of a throw-in

23

Hunt's low cross is cleared by Laursen again - plenty of decent approach play from Reading but a lack of quality still in the final third

21

Villa have had the better of the openings so far with Agbonlahor looking very dangerous

19

Agbonlahor's cross across goal is very dangerous but Reading somehow survive as Graeme Murty's challenge denies Shaun Maloney a shooting chance

18

Reading luckily win a corner after neat build-up play but it comes to nothing

17

Ashley Young breaks forward well before shooting straight at Marcus Hahnemann

15

It's beem a frenetic start to the game but a lack of quality so far from both sides as Wilfred Bouma defends well

13

Kitson's cross is cleared by Martin Laursen - better from Reading in the last few minutes though

12

Curtis Davies defends well to intercept a Reading attack

9

Reading are struggling to keep hold of the ball and it's been a rather scrappy opening

6

Agbonlahor should really have put Villa in front but he drags his shot wide when well placed

5

Both sides have started fairly confidently but no big early chances at either end as Agbonlahor runs the ball out of play

3

Agbonlahor almost gets on the end of a loose ball in the box but he can't control it and Reading clear

1

James Harper fires an early shot at Scott Carson - who gathers the ball at the second attempt

Kickoff
 

The match begins at the Madejski Stadium, with sixth-placed Villa looking to go level on points with Liverpool

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Villa boss Martin O'Neill makes two changes as Gabriel Agbonlahor partners John Carew up front while Reading chief Steve Coppell names an unchanged side, again opting for Dave Kitson and Kevin Doyle up front.