Reading 2 - 1 Wigan

| England News

Saturday Sep 22 2007 03:00

James Harper's last-gasp winner moved a previously out-of-sorts Reading out of the Premier League's bottom three.

The midfielder coolly slotted home a reverse pass from Dave Kitson in the final moments to hand the Royals only their second win of the league season.

Reading didn't play like a team with just one win to their name this season and the home side looked hungry from the off.Liam Rosenior had the chance to mark his home debut with a goal midway through the first half when Kevin Doyle's flicked header left him in the clear, but the defender's snap-shot was beaten away by an alert Chris Kirkland.

But Kirkland then made a mess of a Kevin Doyle shot to gift Kitson the opener on 29 minutes.

Doyle, back in the starting line-up at the expense of Leroy Lita, turned well in the box and hit a low drive that Kirkland stopped but could not hold, allowing Kitson to pounce and poke home.

It was Kitson's second goal in just two starts this season and justified the inclusion of him and Doyle ahead of Lita.

But Wigan were nearly handed an immediate lifeline when the rampaging Jason Koumas was clipped on the edge of the box by Ivar Ingimarsson.

Referee Keith Stroud initially appeared to point to the penalty spot but, after consulting with his assistant, awarded only a free-kick.

It didn't seem to make much difference to Koumas though, as his superb strike beat Marcus Hahnemann but cannoned off the underside of the bar and down on the goal-line before being scrambled clear.

But the visitors were back on level terms within five minutes of the second half when Marcus Bent celebrated his first league start for Wigan with his first goal for the club.

Ingimarsson conceded a corner and Koumas' pinpoint centre allowed Bent to get between Kitson and Michael Duberry to power a header past Hahnemann.

Ten minutes later he nearly had a second when he sprinted clear on to a quickly taken throw and stung the hands of Hahnemann with a low snap-shot.

The near miss seemed to spur the home side on and they gradually increased the pressure in search of their first win in more than a month.Stephen Hunt flicked a header wide and Doyle shot straight at Kirkland, before Kitson came within inches of scoring when he fed substitute Bobby Convey and raced to get on the end of the winger's low cross, only to narrowly fail to reach the centre in front of an empty net.

Live Commentary

90
FULL TIME: READING 2 - 1 WIGAN

90
Kevin Doyle is replaced by Andre Bikey

90
The fourth official indicates three minutes of added time

88
READING 2 - 1 WIGAN: (HARPER) James Harper looks to have stole the game for Reading with a lovely finish into the near post

86
Marcus Bent was one on one with Marcus Hahnemann and was about to pull the trigger and fire home before Duberry made a last ditch tackle to save Reading

84
Titus Bramble cleared the ball from danger as it eluded Chris Kirkland and nearly dropped to Michael Duberry in the penalty area

82
Michael Brown recieves his final warning from Keith Stroud

80
Both teams are pushing on and leaving the game much more open as they both look to go for the victory

78
Julius Aghahowa replaces Antoine Sibierski

75
Reading are doing everything but score as this time it was Bobby Convey who went within inches of putting his side ahead after drilling a low shot accross the face of goal and wide

73
Kevin Doyle with another chance for Reading, though this time went for the greedy option of shooting when Kitson was in a much better position to shoot

70
Kevin Doyle drilled a left footed shot which went within a whisker of sending Reading infront

68
Michael Dubbery stupidly caught offside from a Nicky Shorey free kick which was in a good position

66
Bobby Convey getting involved in the game immediately, by whipping in a cross for Stephen Hunt who headed wide

64
Dave Kitson in the thick of the action again, though this time completing his defensive duties and clearing Koumas's corner to safety

62
Liam Rosenior is replaced by Bobby Convey

58
Marcus Bent wasted a good opportunity for Wigan as he broke the offside trap and hit his shot which was tipped wide by Marcus Hahnemann

56
The Kitson and Doyle partnership is causing Wigan some problems in the second half, with the pair linking up well and creating chances for one another

54
Graeme Murty managed to play a good ball up to Kitson's feet, as he turned and curled a shot high and wide of the goal failing to trouble Chris Kirkland

52
Kevin Doyle and Dave Kitson linking up well once again, as Doyle was played through on goal, only for him to fire past the post instead of cutting it back for his striker partner

49
READING 1 - 1 WIGAN: (M.BENT) Marcus Bent with a bullet header from a Jason Koumas's corner

46
Reading with the first chance of the half as Liam Rosenoir fired wide of the mark from an acute angle

46
Reading get the game back underway

45
Half time

45
The fourth official indicates two minutes of added time

44
Steve Coppell will be very pleased with his side's half time lead after some good football in the first period here at the Madejski Stadium

42
Bent and Paul Scharner linked up well through the middle of the park as Scharner looked to be fouled by Brown

40
The linesman who re-corrected the referee's penalty decision must have eagle eyes as replays are now showing the foul took place just outside of the box

38
Wigan playing some good football as Koumas did well to get down the right hand side and cross dangerously into the box, but Graeme Murty was there to clear the ball

36
Michael Brown is booked for needlessly kicking out at Dave Kitson

34
Marcus Bent with half chance for Wigan but he couldn't keep his glancing header down as it flew over the bar

32
The Wigan players are still complaining to the referee that they should have had what seemed to be a clear penalty just a few minutes ago

30
Justice should have been done for Wigan, but Koumas's resulting free kick bounced straight back off the crossbar

29
Ivar Ingimarsson booked for unsporting behaviour

29
Drama here at the Madejski stadium as the referee changes his mind about the penalty decision and awards a free kick just outside the box after consulting with his linesman

28
Wigan went straight up the other end and Jason Koumas was fouled just inside the box to give Wigan a penalty

26
READING 1 - 0 WIGAN: (KITSON) Dave Kitson with a typical poachers goal for the Royals

24
Dave Kitson caused Wigan some problems as he dropped off deep and ran onto the ball, but Granqvist intercepted his run and cleared to safety

22
Good defending from Wigan once again, this time it was Mario Melchiot who was there to make a last ditch tackle on Kitson

20
Kevin Doyle is just caught offside after he looked to have broke the trap

18
Titus Bramble is warned about his future conduct from referee Stroud after he mis-timed a tackle on Nicky Shorey

16
Reading are on top at the minute and putting Wigan on the back foot all of a sudden

14
Andreas Granqvist this time the saviour for the Latics as he just got infront of Dave Kitson's back post header to block the ball for a corner

12
Chris Kirkland with a magnificent save for Wigan as Liam Rosenoir skipped through one-on-one but Kirkland rushed off his line and stood tall to block the shot

10
Wigan have prhaps been the better team in the opening ten minutes of the game, but Reading have had the best chance to score so far

8
Danger for Wigan as Reading hit them on the counter attack but Titus Bramble was there to fly in and block Kevin Doyle's shot

6
Dave Kitson did well to skip around Titus Bramble, only for Bramble to uphend him and give away a free kick

4
Antoine Sibierksi wasted a half chance as the ball fell to him just inside the penalty area, but his finishing looked rusty and the ball flew past the post

2
Good start by Wigan with Kevin Kilbane whipping the ball into the box early, but Marcus Bent couldn't get on the end of it

0
Wigan get the game underway kicking from left to right in the first half

0
Wigan bring in Marcus Bent who replaces the injured Emile Heskey up front, and there are also starts for Kevin Kilbane and Josip Skoko in the Wigan starting line-up.

0
Steve Coppell makes two changes to the side that lost to Sunderland last weekend, Kevin Doyle replaces Leroy Lita up front and Michael Duberry returns to the heart of the defence.

0
Referee: Keith Stroud

0
Reading Line-up: Hahnemann, Murty, Duberry, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Rosenior, Gunnarsson, Harper, Hunt, Kitson, Doyle

0
Wigan Line-up: Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Granqvist, Kilbane, Koumas, Brown, Skoko, Scharner, Bent, Sibierski

Statistics

Reading

Shots on target	7
Shots off target	8
Shots off bar/post	0
Fouls	17
Offsides	2
Corners	6

Wigan

Shots on target	5
Shots off target	3
Shots off bar/post	1
Fouls	13
Offsides	7
Corners	7

See Live Commentary