• Date: Sat 22 March 2008
  • Venue: Madejski Stadium
  • Ref: Riley, M
  • Attendance: 24,085
Reading

Reading

Bikey (31)

Bikey (79)

2 - 1

Reading vs Birmingham City

Team Lineups

Reading

Marcus Hahnemann
Liam Rosenior
Ivar Ingimarsson
Andre Bikey
Nicky Shorey
Stephen Hunt
John Oster (Shane Long, 77)
Marek Matejovsky (Kalifa Cisse, 81)
James Harper
Kevin Doyle
Dave Kitson

Birmingham City

Maik Taylor
David Murphy
Radhi Jaidi
Stephen Kelly
Liam Ridgewell
Fabrice Muamba
Sebastian Larsson
Mehdi Nafti
Gary McSheffrey (Garry O'Connor, 65)
Mauro Matias Zarate
Mikael Forssell (Cameron Jerome, 80)


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

It's finished 2-1 to Reading - a precious three points for the Royals but Birmingham are now in real trouble at the bottom.

88

Birmingham are desperately searching for a second equaliser but time is almost up

85

Time running out for Birmingham now - a defeat will put them deep in relegation trouble

82

Jerome is straight into the action and heads straight at Hahnemann

81
Substitution
 

Matejovsky is also replaced by Kalifa Cisse

80
Substitution
 

Jerome is on for Forssell

80

The goal was very similar to the opener and Birmingham's poor marking was again exposed

79
Goal
 

Bikey does it again to put Reading 2-1 up, heading home from a free-kick

78
Yellow Card
 

Ridgewell is booked

76
Substitution
 

Oster is replaced by Shane Long

73

Birmingham are in the ascendancy following the equaliser and look the more likely to win it now

70

Forssell turns and shoots but Hahnemann makes a fine save to tip the ball round the post

68

It could go either way now after that Zarate equaliser

65
Substitution
 

McLeish makes a change with McSheffrey replaced by Garry O'Connor

65

The Birmingham fans are in fine voice after that equaliser - this could be a precious point for the Blues

64
Goal
 

Zarate equalises for Birmingham, tapping the ball home from close range

61

Alex McLeish must be pondering whether to make a change with striker Cameron Jerome an option

58

Birmingham defend a couple of quick corners from Reading well, still the home side on top

55

Birmingham are lacking the penetration at the minute to hurt Reading

52

Matejovsky fouls Jaidi but Murphy's free-kick comes to nothing

50

Doyle does well down the left and finds Oster but he blasts the ball over - a great chance for Reading to extend their lead

48

McSheffrey's cross is cleared by Nicky Shorey but Birmingham have began the half well

47

Larsson's corner is cleared away by Dave Kitson

Second half
 

The second half gets underway with Birmingham in need of an equaliser

Half time
 

Half-time and Reading lead thanks to Bikey's glancing header

41

Ridgwell tests Hahnemann with a decent strike as Blues continue to look for an equaliser

40

Heading towards half-time and Reading just about deserve their lead

36

McSheffrey's free-kick is well claimed by Hahnemann

34

Oster almost makes it 2-0 but Taylor turns his shot over the bar

33

Birmingham almost hit back immediately but Forssell drags his shot just wide

31
Goal
 

Andre Bikey's glancing header from a John Oster cross puts Reading in front

28

Matejovsky has another chance but his header is straight into Taylor's arms

25

Marek Matejovsky forces Taylor into a fine low save, it's been an entertaining end-to-end game

24

Forssell's header is wide as Birmingham break well again

22

Both sides have had chances to score so far but it remains goalless

19

Radhi Jaidi heads narrowly over the bar at the other end - lively so far at the Madejski

17

The space opened up for Hunt for that shot as Birmingham's defence backed off

16

Hunt breaks forward and strikes an effort that clips the top of the bar - the closest to a goal so far

13

Kevin Doyle almost gets on the end of a loose ball in the box for Reading but Liam Ridgewell does well to clear

12

Sebastian Larsson's cross is caught well by Marcus Hahnemann

9

Gary McSheffrey wastes a decent chance for Birmingham, firing just wide

7

It's been a tense start to the game with both sides well aware a defeat could be a disaster as they battle to avoid the drop

5

David Murphy brings down Liam Rosenior for a Reading free-kick

2

Stephen Hunt's cross is very dangerous but Maik Taylor claims it well - Reading have started well though

Kickoff
 

It's a crucial game at the bottom of the table at the Madejski Stadium - the action gets underway

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Birmingham bring in Mauro Zarate and Medhi Nafti while James McFadden is out having had keyhole surgery. Reading make just one change with Dave Kitson coming in for Shane Long up front.