Irish Trio destroy Bolton!!!!
Im on cloud nine right now after yesterdays game and all reading fans throughly deserve to be!!! The ghosts of 1995 have finally been avenged and rested 12 years on!!!
What a game yesterday, def a game of 2 halfs! We got to Bolton about 1pm and saw the boys arrive (love it when we get there to welcome them), did the usual walk around the stadium, pictures with our reading flag, etc and wow what a fantastic stadium, def one the better ones ive been to this season.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/clois4ever/P4211189.jpg
and inside the ground was even better!! - http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/clois4ever/P4211195.jpg
so we watched the warm up and yay one very good day for me as both Doyle and Oster were starting (Seol had been dropped to the bench - yay for Oster!). However was shocked to see Sidwell back in the team and Harper being dropped (Gunnarsson kept his place). Watched that and well it was such a nice day, it made it even better, couldnt wait for the game to get started. Reading have got history with Bolton going back to the 1995 play-off final at Wemberly where they beat us and thus making us wait another 12 years before we were promoted to the premiership. Plus we beat them 1-0 at Mad Stad back in December (Doyle goal from an Oster assist - perfect for me!!). SO today there was alot at stake.
Team line up was - Marcus, Defence : DLC, Ivar, Doobs, Shorey, Midfield : Oster, Sidwell, Gunnarsson, Strikers : Doyle, Kitson and Hunt (meaning we went 4-3-3 and man marked the bolton guys) with Fed, Bikey, Long, Soel and Harper on the bench.
The game started and the reading fans were in fine voice again! Bolton fans were very quiet. In the first half we matched Bolton and while not great, were ok!!! 3 bolton players got injured in the first half for by the 45th min all of their subs had been used and not one of ours. Could have had a goal but jaskalien got there before Doyle :(
Second half was split into two halves - first bit - bolton rang rings round us. dont know what on earth happened, but we werent with it and we eneded up conceding a goal on the 63rd min after a shot from Anelka was going wide, but Shorey hit it and 1-0 bolton from an own goal :(. After that we just hoped that Reading work up and well the answer game with the subsitutes. I hate to say it but while he gave it his all, Oster had to come off yesterday (he was trying his best but the bolton guys were all over him- felt so sorry for him, as he was working well with Doyle). So off went Oster and De La Cruz and on came Seol and Harper. Now for all those who said Sidwell was vital to the heart of Reading - you are wrong. The unsung hero of the midfield is James Harper!!! As soon as he was on the pitch, things changed. We switched back to 4-4-2 and Harper was here, there and everywhere (while Coppell dorpped him ill never know). Shots started to go in and we looked like we might sneak a point (that was all we were asking). About 4 mins later Long came on for Kitson (who was having a crap game and was clearly not happy about being taken off, becasue he stormed down the tunnel) and what a difference he made too!!!
Long provided abit more pace and ran rings round the bolton defence. He also gave Hunt and Doyle more support so they could get forward. A through ball and Doyle was brought down in the penalty area - PENALTY!!!! we were all on edge (my mate couldtn even watch it), but in true Doyle style, he put it in the back of the net - 1-1!!!! we were going mental, but more was to come (not that we knew it).
88th min - A cross from Seol reached Doyle, who carmyl brought the ball down on this chest, controlled it and Bang 2-1! Hit the back of the net - let the chaos begin!! 'we all dream of a team of kevin doyles' rang out, along with the old favourite - '1-0 and you f****d it up'!! Bolton fans werent amused and began leaving.
Then 2 mins later another Irish man decided to get in on the act and he throughtly deserved too - Shorey crossed the ball and Hunt, Long and Doyle were all waiting for it, but Hunt reached it first with is head and 3-1!! game over!! What a come back, amazing!!! all three celebrations were on our side of the pitch (to the right of the goal) and well they were all great - 1-1 : Doyle's trade make sliding on the knees with Hunt and Long, 2-1 : Doyle stood up on the advertising boards (nearly fell off btw) and 3-1 : Hunt's trademark full frontal slie with hugs from the team (but the best bit was him and doyle - after inital hung, Doyle went back again and you could tell that it meant so much to them).
Doyle's second:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/clois4ever/doylelongandhuntcelebratingdoylespe.jpg
Hunt's goal (part of celebration) :
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/clois4ever/hunty.jpg
So a throughly fantastic last 8 mins and another win under the teams belts! moved up to 7th and are within 3 points of Everton and Bolton (in 5th and 6th), now who would have throught that. MOTM - this week i dont have one, I have 5!! Ok i know im being greedy, but they all deserve it - Doyle and Hunt : kept working when everyone else had seemed to have given up. Doyle - fantastic goals and get to see him on the scoresheet again, its been too long!! Not one of Hunty's best games, but kept going and what a goal!!! and throughly deserves praise for it! Also Marcus - great shot-stopper. Kept us in most of the second half making sure it was only 1-0 that we were down and not 4 or 5!! and our super-subs Harper and Long - what a difference they made when they came on. Gave us a new lease of life and made things happen. Created space and time and made the team work to get the ball forward!!!!
ref watch - Howard Webb - i used to have respect for you, but your were terrible yesterday. Let Bolton get away with everything (we should have had a penalty earlier and you were standing right by it and didnt give a thing), but booked our boys or had a go at them for the slightest thing!!
but for now Reading fans are still on cloud nine!!!! Thank god for our Irish Trio!!
What a game yesterday, def a game of 2 halfs! We got to Bolton about 1pm and saw the boys arrive (love it when we get there to welcome them), did the usual walk around the stadium, pictures with our reading flag, etc and wow what a fantastic stadium, def one the better ones ive been to this season.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/clois4ever/P4211189.jpg
and inside the ground was even better!! - http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/clois4ever/P4211195.jpg
so we watched the warm up and yay one very good day for me as both Doyle and Oster were starting (Seol had been dropped to the bench - yay for Oster!). However was shocked to see Sidwell back in the team and Harper being dropped (Gunnarsson kept his place). Watched that and well it was such a nice day, it made it even better, couldnt wait for the game to get started. Reading have got history with Bolton going back to the 1995 play-off final at Wemberly where they beat us and thus making us wait another 12 years before we were promoted to the premiership. Plus we beat them 1-0 at Mad Stad back in December (Doyle goal from an Oster assist - perfect for me!!). SO today there was alot at stake.
Team line up was - Marcus, Defence : DLC, Ivar, Doobs, Shorey, Midfield : Oster, Sidwell, Gunnarsson, Strikers : Doyle, Kitson and Hunt (meaning we went 4-3-3 and man marked the bolton guys) with Fed, Bikey, Long, Soel and Harper on the bench.
The game started and the reading fans were in fine voice again! Bolton fans were very quiet. In the first half we matched Bolton and while not great, were ok!!! 3 bolton players got injured in the first half for by the 45th min all of their subs had been used and not one of ours. Could have had a goal but jaskalien got there before Doyle :(
Second half was split into two halves - first bit - bolton rang rings round us. dont know what on earth happened, but we werent with it and we eneded up conceding a goal on the 63rd min after a shot from Anelka was going wide, but Shorey hit it and 1-0 bolton from an own goal :(. After that we just hoped that Reading work up and well the answer game with the subsitutes. I hate to say it but while he gave it his all, Oster had to come off yesterday (he was trying his best but the bolton guys were all over him- felt so sorry for him, as he was working well with Doyle). So off went Oster and De La Cruz and on came Seol and Harper. Now for all those who said Sidwell was vital to the heart of Reading - you are wrong. The unsung hero of the midfield is James Harper!!! As soon as he was on the pitch, things changed. We switched back to 4-4-2 and Harper was here, there and everywhere (while Coppell dorpped him ill never know). Shots started to go in and we looked like we might sneak a point (that was all we were asking). About 4 mins later Long came on for Kitson (who was having a crap game and was clearly not happy about being taken off, becasue he stormed down the tunnel) and what a difference he made too!!!
Long provided abit more pace and ran rings round the bolton defence. He also gave Hunt and Doyle more support so they could get forward. A through ball and Doyle was brought down in the penalty area - PENALTY!!!! we were all on edge (my mate couldtn even watch it), but in true Doyle style, he put it in the back of the net - 1-1!!!! we were going mental, but more was to come (not that we knew it).
88th min - A cross from Seol reached Doyle, who carmyl brought the ball down on this chest, controlled it and Bang 2-1! Hit the back of the net - let the chaos begin!! 'we all dream of a team of kevin doyles' rang out, along with the old favourite - '1-0 and you f****d it up'!! Bolton fans werent amused and began leaving.
Then 2 mins later another Irish man decided to get in on the act and he throughtly deserved too - Shorey crossed the ball and Hunt, Long and Doyle were all waiting for it, but Hunt reached it first with is head and 3-1!! game over!! What a come back, amazing!!! all three celebrations were on our side of the pitch (to the right of the goal) and well they were all great - 1-1 : Doyle's trade make sliding on the knees with Hunt and Long, 2-1 : Doyle stood up on the advertising boards (nearly fell off btw) and 3-1 : Hunt's trademark full frontal slie with hugs from the team (but the best bit was him and doyle - after inital hung, Doyle went back again and you could tell that it meant so much to them).
Doyle's second:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/clois4ever/doylelongandhuntcelebratingdoylespe.jpg
Hunt's goal (part of celebration) :
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b134/clois4ever/hunty.jpg
So a throughly fantastic last 8 mins and another win under the teams belts! moved up to 7th and are within 3 points of Everton and Bolton (in 5th and 6th), now who would have throught that. MOTM - this week i dont have one, I have 5!! Ok i know im being greedy, but they all deserve it - Doyle and Hunt : kept working when everyone else had seemed to have given up. Doyle - fantastic goals and get to see him on the scoresheet again, its been too long!! Not one of Hunty's best games, but kept going and what a goal!!! and throughly deserves praise for it! Also Marcus - great shot-stopper. Kept us in most of the second half making sure it was only 1-0 that we were down and not 4 or 5!! and our super-subs Harper and Long - what a difference they made when they came on. Gave us a new lease of life and made things happen. Created space and time and made the team work to get the ball forward!!!!
ref watch - Howard Webb - i used to have respect for you, but your were terrible yesterday. Let Bolton get away with everything (we should have had a penalty earlier and you were standing right by it and didnt give a thing), but booked our boys or had a go at them for the slightest thing!!
but for now Reading fans are still on cloud nine!!!! Thank god for our Irish Trio!!