Man City 2 Reading 1

Manchester City 2 (Petrov 11, Ireland 90)
Reading 1 (Harper 43)

Reading had a few half chances but then, even though it might have taken several chances Manchester City took and 11th minute lead. Stephen Ireland passed to Elano who hit the post, in the scramble that followed Marcus Hahnemann denied Emile Mpenza but Martin Petrov made no mistake.

Chances were at a premium for most of the first half after that, but Reading were able to go in level at 1-1 at half time. Kevin Doyle managed to get a lucky break, but he made the most of this and passed to Bobby Convey who passed onto James Harper who fired home.

Stephen Hunt was more than a little fortunate not to have been sent off early in the second half. An appallingly high challenge on Gelson Fernandes saw him luckily escape with only a yellow card.

Both clubs were having chances in the second half, but no real clear cut openings were coming, more often than not the final pass was lacking or just avoiding someone, but Marcus Hahnemann did very well to deny Georgios Samaras when he was clean through.

Manchester City should have won the match in the last minute when Geovanni was clean through after Dietmar Hamann’s ball over the top to him, with only Marcus Hahnemann to beat he lifted it over the bar.

The chance for a winner looked like it had gone but a long ball was flicked on by Georgios Samaras to Geovanni, who passed to Stephen Ireland who volleyed home from the edge of the area for a thunderbolt of a winning goal deep into injury time.

Manchester City: Isaksson; Corluka (Jihai 44), Garrido, Dunne (c), Richards; Hamann, Petrov, Ireland, Fernandes; Elano (Geovanni 59), Mpenza (Samaras 45).
Subs: Hart, Ball.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty (c), Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko; Gunnarsson, Harper, Hunt, Convey; Kitson, Doyle (Long 84).
Subs: Oster, Fae, Bikey, Federici.
Booked: Hunt, Long