Champions 5-0 Derby

Reading eventually tore Derby County apart this afternoon at the Madejski Stadium but toyed with the fans in the early stages, making us think the win would never come.

Derby were stubborn early on and Reading didn?t look to be on top form as the first half ended goal less and thoughts of Derby coming to spoil the party sprung to mind.

But once the Royals had stung the visitors once in the second half, they had no answers and just had to see if they could stop whatever Reading were going to throw at them next. The visiting fans just had to sit back and watch as it dawned on them that they were only here for the champions.

The day needed Sheffield United to stuff up again and they did just that at Stoke?s Britannia Stadium where by all accounts they were lucky to get a draw. But that?s enough about them; let?s get back to the league champions.

It certainly was a carnival atmosphere during the first half but Derby gave as good as they got and in fairness, if the sides had gone in at half time with the score at 2-2 it would have been perfectly justified.

But the Royals just needed a goal so that there could be an almighty mental in the crowd, we already knew that Stoke were doing the business against Warnock?s tribe, now all we needed was to find a way past Derby to send us into the Premiership as Champions.

The breakthrough came on the hour mark when Harper picked up the ball, skipped through what the visitors had to offer in the way of tackles and smashed the ball past Camp in the Derby goal to send the crowd wild.

At last we were on our way.

Little managed to hit the side netting before the second goal arrived around five minutes later, Convey sent over the perfect cross and Doyle was there to head home another and put the Royals two up.

Derby still didn?t want to throw in the towel though and Little had to be called upon to head off the line.
Oster came on and he contributed a goal to the cause when he side footed the third goal as the Derby defence became unrecognisable from the one they had in the first half.

Sidwell should have hit the fourth goal but that honour went to another substitute, Long, he got on the end of a cross from Murty to show that he too can do what the other strikers can.

Then on 83 minutes Long did it again and Reading went Nap.

The final whistle came to signal mass celebrations on the pitch and Reading had the Championship sewn up long before anyone would have dreamt at the start of the season and certainly long before any team will do it again.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Sidwell,Little (Oster 69), Harper, Convey (Hunt 68), Kitson,Doyle (Long 72).

Subs Not Used: Stack, Gunnarsson.

Derby: Camp, Jackson, Nyatanga, Moore, Wright,Bolder (Bisgaard 72), Idiakez, Barnes, McIndoe, Smith,Peschisolido (Ainsworth 72).

Subs Not Used: Poole, Thirlwell, Hanson.

Att: 22,981

Ref: A Bates (Staffordshire).