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  • Kick-off: 20:00
  • Venue: Madejski Stadium
  • Attendance: 17562
  • Referee: Curson, B

Live Commentary

90mins

That's it, it's all over, the referee has blown the final whistle.

88mins

Crystal Palace are replacing Aki Riihilahti with Wayne Andrews.

88mins

Reading are replacing Bobby Convey with Steve Hunt.

87mins

Goal!! Ibrahim Sonko scores for Reading.

69mins

Leroy Lita is booked for unsporting behaviour.

68mins

Goal!! Leroy Lita scores for Reading.

58mins

The referee has booked Clinton Morrison.

47mins

Goal!! Clinton Morrison scores for Crystal Palace.

46mins

The second half is under way with the score currently at 1 v 1.

45mins

Half time whistle is blown by B Curson

44mins

Tom Soares is booked for unsporting behaviour.

37mins

Andy Johnson is being taken off, Jon Macken has come on in his place.

33mins

Fitz Hall goes into the referees book for unsporting behaviour.

31mins

Brynjar Gunnarsson is booked for unsporting behaviour.

29mins

Goal!! Andy Johnson scores for Crystal Palace.

26mins

Goal!! Reading have scored with Kevin Doyle putting it in the back of the net.

0mins

It's 8pm on Tuesday, September 13th, the match has kicked off.

Match Report

Iain Dowie the Crystal Palace manager has criticised the level of protection Andy Johnson receives from referees after the England striker hobbled off in their 3-2 defeat at Reading.

Johnson cancelled out Kevin Doyle's opener midway through the first half but was forced off shortly after with a sore knee.

He will have a scan Wednesday morning to determine the extent of the injury, but he is expected to be out for at least two weeks.

Dowie believes Johnson has become a target in the Championship and was only denied a penalty because of his reputation for diving.

"AJ had very little protection all game," fumed Dowie. "He didn't get a penalty and he didn't win a single foul.

"If he is running at 70 mph and he gets a kick he can't help but go down.

"I am sick to death with this debate. He is not a diver he is a top player but sometimes referees like to make their mark and steal the limelight."

Reading shaded a cracking first half which ended 1-1 but could have been much more.

Doyle, a £75,000 bargain buy from Cork City, put Royals ahead with a stunning 26th minute strike for his third in three games.

But the home side's celebrations were cut short by Johnson just three minutes later when the England man held off Ibrahim Sonko before firing past USA keeper Marcus Hahnemann for his sixth of the season.

However, that was Johnson's last contribution after he pulled up holding his knee after 37 minutes.

Palace, though, regrouped and stunned Royals by taking the lead just two minutes into the second half through Clinton Morrison's volley.

The visitors should have made it 3-1 soon after, but Hahneman expertly saved at Michael Hughes' feet.

That flaring miss soon came back to haunt Palace when Leroy Lita equalised with a spectacular overhead kick in the 68th minute from Glen Little's cross.

But Lita nearly blew Royals' hopes of victory when his 75th minute penalty was saved by Palace keeper Gabor Kiraly after Doyle had been tripped.

However, referee Brian Curson ordered a re-take and Little saw that one superbly saved again by the Hungarian skipper.

Even so, Dowie was so incensed with the officiating he was ordered from the dugout for berating the fourth official.

Meanwhile, Royals pressed for the winner which eventually came two minutes from time when Sonko headed home from Little's cross to extend Reading's unbeaten run to eight games.

The defeat also ended Palace's three-match winning run in the league and Dowie must now find a replacement striker for Saturday's daunting trip to Cardiff.

Royals boss Steve Coppell said: "It was a great game and we did a lot of good things which will stand us in good stead for the rest of the season.

"Palace are a top outfit but we had a bit of good fortune out of Andy Johnson's misfortune.

"He is a real cutting edge for them but it shouldn't detract from our performance."

Reading Team

Crystal Palace Team

Reading

Crystal Palace

Corners

51

Fouls

1015

Goal attempts

1313

Shots off target

25

Offsides

34

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