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  • Kitson (29), Harper (90)
  • Bent (50)
  • Date:2007-09-22
  • Kick-off:15:00
  • Venue:Madejski Stadium
  • Attendance:21379
  • Referee:Stroud, K

Live Commentary

90mins

FULL TIME: READING 2 - 1 WIGAN

90mins

Kevin Doyle is replaced by Andre Bikey

90mins

The fourth official indicates three minutes of added time

88mins

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

86mins

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

84mins

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

82mins

Michael Brown recieves his final warning from Keith Stroud

80mins

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

78mins

Julius Aghahowa replaces Antoine Sibierski

75mins

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

73mins

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

70mins

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

68mins

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

66mins

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

64mins

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

62mins

Liam Rosenior is replaced by Bobby Convey

58mins

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

56mins

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

54mins

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

52mins

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

49mins

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

46mins

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

46mins

Reading get the game back underway

45mins

Half time

45mins

The fourth official indicates two minutes of added time

44mins

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

42mins

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

40mins

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

38mins

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

36mins

Michael Brown is booked for needlessly kicking out at Dave Kitson

34mins

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

32mins

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

30mins

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

29mins

Ivar Ingimarsson booked for unsporting behaviour

29mins

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

28mins

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

26mins

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

24mins

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

22mins

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

20mins

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

18mins

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

16mins

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

14mins

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

12mins

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

10mins

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

8mins

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

6mins

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

4mins

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

2mins

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

0mins

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

0mins

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.

0mins

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.

0mins

Referee: Keith Stroud

0mins

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

0mins

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

Match Preview

Three successive Premier League defeats have left Reading languishing in the bottom three as they prepare to host Wigan Athletic on Saturday.

Steve Coppell's side have won only once in the league all season and the Royals boss was in critical mood after last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Sunderland.

"We must react positively and get some more points on the board," he claimed.

"We're basically in a situation where we need to improve. We've leaked too many and haven't scored enough."

Reading have conceded eight goals and scored just two in their three-game losing sequence to back up Coppell's observations.

With that in mind, Republic of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle looks set to return to the starting line-up after being rested at the Stadium of Light.

Meanwhile, Bobby Convey, Emerse Fae and Shane Long all continued their comebacks from recent injuries for the reserves in midweek and could feature at the weekend.

John Oster (ankle), Glenn Little (Achilles) and Ibrahima Sonko (knee) remain sidelined.

Wigan continue to exceed pre-campaign predictions of a season of toil. Last weekend's 1-1 draw with Fulham kept the Latics in the top half of the table following a better than expected start to the new campaign.

However, the point against the Cottagers came at a heavy cost as Emile Heskey suffered a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot and faces a six-week spell on the sidelines.

Heskey had only just earned a recall to the England fold and will now miss the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia and Russia next month not to mention at least five club games.

Chris Hutchings must now decide whether to hand Marcus Bent or Julius Aghahowa a start up front - or whether to push free-scoring attacking midfielder Antoine Sibierski into a more offensive role.


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Match Report

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.

Reading

Wigan Athletic

Corners

67

Fouls

1713

Goal attempts

159

Shots off target

83

Offsides

27

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