Royals Continue March

It was a scrappy encounter at the Mad Stad this afternoon but in the end it was Reading that came out worthy winners with two goals from the unstoppable Dave Kitson.

The Royals are now 28 games undefeated and this win puts them eight points clear of Sheffield United who were held to a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town.

But it was the visitors who started the brightest as they tried to hit Reading with an early goal to knock them off their stride, Brynjar Gunnarsson was given a torrid time by Coventry livewire Stern John.

It was John who had a good chance of putting the midland club in front when Gary McSheffrey delivered a free kick into the box that John was quickly onto, but his header didn?t make the keeper work too hard to make the save
On the quarter hour mark Reading began to establish a foothold in the game and it was Kitson on target from the edge of the area but Marton Fulop made the save.

Soon after that Kevin Doyle curved the ball just wide of the upright when he really should have been on target at the very least.

Coventry hit back with another free kick, this time it was Michael Doyle who delivered the ball to Andrew Whing who narrowly headed over the crossbar.

With ten minutes left of the first half Shorey fired in a shot from all of thirty yards hat the keeper saved bit couldn?t hold onto, much to the frustration of the home fans the ball was cleared before a Reading player could react.

And it was Kitson who had the last word of the first half when he glanced on a Shorey cross that looped just over the crossbar.

Half Time: 0-0

Fulop had done a good job keeping Reading out in the first half but any hopes he had of keeping a clean sheet were taken away when Kitson struck less than a minute into the second half.

The cross came from Convey who had made a good run, he put the ball in front of Kitson who lifted the ball over Fulop to put the Royals one up.

It could have been two about five minutes later when Shorey fed Doyle, his shot had beaten the Coventry keeper but not the post and the ball went wide of the target.

At the other end Coventry went in search of an equaliser and almost found it through McSheffrey who went round Hahnemann, but could not turn the ball into the open goal from the tight angle.

Fulop was in action again at the other end when Shorey picked out Convey, but his shot was not the greatest ever seen and the keeper had no trouble saving.

Coventry?s next assault on the Reading goal came when James Harper fouled Hutchinson on the edge of the box, he took the resulting free kick himself but the wall let the ball through and Hahnemann was called on to produce a great save.

But the danger had not finished there, the resulting corner Stowcroft thought he had headed home but the keeper made a quite brilliant save, keeping the disbelieving visitors at bay.

The next goal was always going to be an important one and it was the Royals that got it on 78 minutes when Hunt took the ball to the by-line, crossed and their was Kitson who did the business from close range and seal the points for the home side.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Sonko, Gunnarsson, Little, Kitson, Harper, Ingimarsson, Convey (Hunt,71), Doyle (Lita,87)

Subs not used: Stack, Oster, Makin.

Coventry: Fulop, Whing (Hutchison,59), Hall, Williams, Duffy (Impey, 81), Doyle, McSheffrey, Scowcroft, Jorgensen (Adebola,74), John, Shaw

Subs not used: Ince, Morrell.

Bookings: Murty (Reading) Williams, Shaw (Coventry)

Referee: Anthony Bates (Staffordshire)