Reading Unwrapped By Reds

Reading sunk to a seventh game across all competitions without a win ducking out to a late Dirk Kuyt winner at the Madejski Stadium.

Reading have been criticised in recent weeks for lacklustre performances until the final stages of a game but today the Royals proved themselves to be a decent team against a Liverpool who have scored seven goals in their last two games.

Reading controlled the play early on and won a free kick after Dave Kitson was brought down 25yards from goal.

Nicky Shorey blasted the kick into the Liverpool wall and the cleared ball fell to Liverpool left-back Alvaro Arbeloa.

Arbeloa was given a mile of space and was unphased by the back-peddling Ivar Ingimarsson, who in my opinion should have closed him down in Liverpool`s half (even if it did mean conceding a yellow card), picking out the in-form Peter Crouch Arbeloa received a one-two and beat onrushing Marcus Hahnemann with ease.

Reading refused to let their heads drop and consistently attacked the Reds goal, but Liverpool seemed happy to soak up the pressure looking twice as dangerous on the break.

Reading came out with more purpose after the break, Stephen Hunt found fill-in right back Brynjar Gunnarsson with a nifty pass and the Icelander fired a venomous shot from at ight angle which smashed in off the post offering Reading a lifeline.

The Royals did not look content to settle for a solitary point though continuing to push forward against the superior opposition.

The Madejski Stadium was deceived in to believing a winner might be scored for the Royals, but Peter Crouch headed over his own bar to save the Reds from a John Oster free-kick.

Liverpool were looking content to settle for the point with some peculiar substitutions but obviously Rafa Benitez knew better as two of them combined to score Liverpool`s second.

Mascherano played a ball to winger Jermaine Pennant who sprinted the right wing, Pennant received no pressure from Ingimarsson who once again choose to back-peddle rather then close down the cross which fell to Dirk Kuyt for the winner.

With only minutes left on the clock the Royals had no chance of salvaging anything from the match. Final score; Liverpool 2 – 1 Reading.

Reading: Hahnemann, Gunnarsson, Ingimarsson, Duberry (Bikey 46), Shorey, Oster (Lita 82), Sidwell, Harper, Hunt, Doyle, Kitson.

Subs Not Used: Federici, Long, Halford.

Booked: Kitson, Hahnemann.

Goals: Gunnarsson 47.

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Arbeloa, Gerrard, Sissoko, Mascherano, Gonzalez (Riise 79), Crouch (Pennant 65), Bellamy (Kuyt 50).

Subs Not Used: Dudek, Agger.

Booked: Sissoko.

Goals: Arbeloa 15, Kuyt 86.