Defiant Royals Earn Draw

Kevin Doyle and Cristiano Ronaldo were on target to earn a draw between a mismatch of teams.

It was a day like few others at the Madejski Stadium, a day that will be remembered by loyal Royals and the players alike. Anyone still in a euphoric dream state after Reading`s unbelievable finish last year could wake up now for real, the Red Devils, at the Madejski, in a league game.

If the nine points picked up form the previous five games wasn`t enough for some sceptics, the well-deserved point against United today must surely have confirmed Reading`s intentions of plying their trade in the Premiership for good.

Reading remained unchanged since their first league game this season; the stability of Coppell`s squad seeing them through so far seems like a good formula against any team. Man Utd started with a 4-5-1 formations with Wayne Rooney they lone figure of attack. This seemed a little disrespectful of the team in Red, implying that they would not need the firepower of two to see Reading off although Rooney faired horrendously in such a formation for his country in the World Cup.

There were early scares for home fan`s as just two minutes into the game Wayne Rooney popped a shot from 25 yards and it was all Reading keeper Marcus Hahnemann could do to parry it away, fortunately right back and captain Graeme Murty was on hand to get the ball away before the oncoming Kieran Richardson had it in the back of the net.

Reading`s first chance of the game came to Kevin Doyle who got his head on the end of a Leroy Lita cross from a throw-in. The ball went wide, but it was a sign that Reading were not going to sit back against the reds and intended to give as good as they got.

United kept up their attacking prominence as expected as Ronaldo blasted a shot which Hahnemann could again not hold but still managed to deny Rooney moments later.

With 18minutes played, Bobby Convey broke down the wing and had a cross deflected in and gifted to Kevin Doyle. Perhaps distracted by the many cries of offside Doyle seemed to hesitate and although he hit it at goal, Van Der Sar kept it out. Seol Ki-Hyeon was on cue to fire in a rebound but Van Der Sar was level to it again.

United pushed forward again and probably should have taken the lead when Ronaldo`s low cross from the dead-ball line flew in with Paul Scholes unfortunated not to the ball the touch that would have put it in the net. It was not the end of Scholes` misfourtune as he fired a chance over the bar from close in.

Sonko played one of the best games of his career to date making clean crucial challenges and as always the aerial presence of defence, heading away and clearing the ball from danger whenever the opportunity arose. As half an hour of play was marked he dispossessed Rooney and set Reading on a front foot.

Out wide Doyle won the Royals a corner as Gary Neville headed away his cross. And on both wings Convey and Seol caused concern to the Untied defence, Seol even seeming to out-showboat Ronaldo at times in terms of turns, dummies and step-overs. The Korean launched a furrowing cross into the box just before the half time whistle which Ivar Ingimarsson – the Icelander who scored against City, United`s Manchester rivals – popped over the bar.

Reading went into the tunnel at half-time pleased with their performance against title contenders and no doubt happy with the clean sheet that the defence had so far earned.

Man Utd came back out with more zest after their performance began to drop towards the end of the first half, Richardson was gifted an opportunity from Wayne Rooney`s dummy but skied the ball pleasing the home fans.

It was Reading who broke the deadlock after the rightwing team of Murty and Seol combined, Murty thrashed in a cross which hit Gary Neville on the left arm, the referee immediately blew for a penalty; a dubious decision but one the Royals were more then happy to take.
Kevin Doyle stepped up to the spot, the pressure on after he failed to score in the Royals` cup-tie shoot out against Darlington midweek, but he found the back of the net despite Van Der Sar hand to it and the Madejski Stadium erupted into jubilant celebration.

Man Utd played with more urgency after the goal. It was certain that they needed to score, and they had a series of chances coming at Reading. Dareen Fletcher headed wide, and Kieran Richardson booted the ball over the bar not for the first time in the match and was subsequently subbed for Louis Saha.

But whatever the score, whoever the team, Reading refused to sit back on their lead and play the waiting for the whistle game. Lita and Doyle stayed forward in Man Utd attacks and stretched the game end to end.

But Man Utd refused to be beaten, time and time again they came back at Reading and it seemed only a matter of time before they would find the net. It was Ronaldo that provided the equaliser, pushing dowen the left flank he came directly at Murty who kept backing away and invited Ronaldo to turn him. Ronaldo blasted the ball into the right hand corner and just out of Hahnemann`s reach to level the game.

Steve Coppell more content with one point then none, took off Leroy Lita and replaced him with the defender midfielder Brynar Gunnarsson, who won some good tackles and kept Reading hanging in there.

Man Utd were refusing to take anything but all three as they poured forward over and over but were denied by a Reading that refused to let go of their year long undefeated home record.
As the last 10 minutes of the match continued, Rooney was felled in the box, which looked more like a dive then a penalty opportunity for the reds, and captain Graeme Murty limped off for Andre Bikey with moments to go.

Though the Red Devils gave it their all through the four minutes of injury time there were no close calls for the Royals and the final whistle, as ever, was greeted with a rapturous cheer of delight as the Royals secured a point against one of England`s best clubs.


Sir Alex on the Royals:

‘Reading, they fought for every ball and worked their tails off. But we should have done better.

‘They put eight bodies in front of us in their box and that is not easy to play against.

‘We had shots blocked, over the bar and the keeper made two or three good saves. Sometimes it happens that way.’