Reading Football Club News

• Nickname:Royals
• Founded:1871
• Manager:Brian McDermott

• Ground:Madejski Stadium
• Capacity:24,200

Hunt gets Sonko backing

16 Oct 2006 - 10:32:17

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Reading's Ibrahima Sonko has leapt to the defence of team-mate Stephen Hunt after he came in for strong criticism for the challenge that left Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech with a fractured skull.

Blues boss Jose Mourinho has called on the Football Association to take action against Hunt for what he described as "a very stupid challenge", but Sonko insisted the incident was nothing more than an unfortunate accident.

The Senegalese defender told The Sun: "Stephen doesn't need to be upset by Mourinho's accusations because he knows he didn't go for the keeper.

"He's just tried to win the ball and has been unlucky to catch Cech. You never know how these challenges are going to end up. On another day, it could have been him who'd got injured.

"Mourinho is their manager and worried about his players. He's lost two keepers and is probably upset about what's happened. A lot of people from Chelsea will be unhappy, but there's no way Hunty would try to hurt the keeper."

Sonko was involved in another controversial incident in the closing stages of Chelsea's 1-0 win at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday - a collision with Carlo Cudicini which led to Cech's replacement also being stretchered off.

He added: "There was no way I went in to hurt the keeper. I was going for the ball, he came out to punch it and there was a big collision.

"Once you're in the air, you've got no control over anything. We were both going forward and there was nothing I could do to get out of the way. Next thing I know, he's on the floor and hurt. I just hope he'll be okay."