Royals Share The Spoils

The courageous Royals left Stamford Bridge with a hard fought and well deserved point in the highly-anticipated rematch between two of England`s current Champions.

The holders of the Premiership crown of the last two seasons were eagerly awaiting this Boxing Day clash with revenge in mind. In the reverse fixture at Reading`s Madejski Stadium, Blues captain John Terry found himself occupying the sticks after goalkeeping duo Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini were sent to hospital following robust challenges from Reading`s Stephen Hunt and Ibrahima Sonko.

Fortunately for some through, none more so that the watching Manchester United, visitors Reading had not read the script – or at least they had chosen to ignore it after doing so, casting aside the majority of pre-match predictions and recent statistics that suggested this would be a non-contest without a moments hesitation.

As predicted it was the home team, lining up with a three-pronged attack of Andriy Shevchenko, Salomon Kalou, and the ever-impressive Didier Drogba, who signalled their intent from the opening whistle.

With only a minute played, Drogba and Geremi combined to fashion a chance for stand-in Chelsea skipper Frank Lampard, who fended off Sonko`s challenge before dragging a shot just wide of the left upright.

Shevchenko then chased a long ball from Wayne Bridge before squaring to German midfielder Michael Ballack. The former Bayern-Munich captain let the ball run, but just before Drogba was about to attack it, Ivar Ingimarsson made a crucial intervention.

Ukrainian striker Shevchenko was again the supplier as he fed Drogba just inside the Reading area. With American stopper Marcus Hahnemann baring down on him, Drogba elegantly lifted the ball over the advancing goalkeeper only to see Hahnemann lift an arm to thwart his effort, smothering the ball at the second attempt.

Stephen Hunt`s decision to warm-up on the sidelines brought a chorus of boos from the surrounding Chelsea stands, and on the pitch Kalou blazed a chance over after his quick feet had beaten both Nicky Shorey and Ingimarsson.

The visitor`s first meaningful attack came as Glen Little and James Harper exchanged passes down the right, but Steve Sidwell could not latch onto the ball as it was threaded through Chelsea`s penalty area.

A header from Didier Drogba again called Marcus Hahnemann into action, this time the American saved well to his left after the Chelsea striker nodded a Lampard set piece down towards goal.

The Ivory Coast hitman, chasing his 50th goal for the London club, came even closer to opening the scoring as his shot clipped a post after taking the narrowest of deflections from Ibu Sonko.

From the resulting corner, however, Drogba would get rewarded for his persistence. Lampard whipped in a delicious delivery, tempting Marcus Hahnemann from his line. The goalkeeper was unsuccessful in claiming the ball though, as Drogba jumped highest to head home in powerful fashion, leaving the marking Sonko rooted to the turf.

For the first time since Hunt`s brief emergence down on the touchline, the home fans responded to their team`s goal with some momentary noise that would last for the remaining five minutes of the first half – a rarity as the travelling Royals support were by far the louder on the Richter-scale for the most part of the contest.

As the old but accurately applicable cliché states, football really is a game of two halves. Taking this into account, Reading came out after the break looking like a side desiring to make up for lost time. Having only had a handful of half chances throughout the whole of the first half, the Royals looked to impose themselves on the game and came out of the blocks in full-throttle.

Icelander Brynjar Gunnarsson, starting his first match since the shambolic away defeat to Portsmouth back in October, sent a beautiful curling delivery across the Chelsea face from the right. For all but the slightest of touches from Ricardo Carvalho, Kevin Doyle would have levelled the tie as he came sliding in to meet the cross.

England under-21 star Leroy Lita, deputising in place of Seol Ki-Hyeon after some encouraging cameo appearances, then blazed over before commanding midfielder Steve Sidwell came within inches of getting on the scoresheet himself. He connected well with a loose bouncing ball just outside the Chelsea area, but his shot arrowed marginally wide of the upright and into the side-netting with Hilario left desperately wanting.

With the visitors, backed by their vocal following, firmly on top at this stage, Jose Mourinho was called to respond by making his first substitution. Shaun Wright-Phillips, whose Blues future hangs in the balance, replaced the hard-working but overly disappointing Shevchenko.

“We`re gonna score in a minute, score in a minute?” was the call from the away end, and score in a minute their team did. On 67 minutes, the impressive Glen Little turned Chelsea left back Bridge inside out, before sending an inviting delivery to the back post. Lita, admittedly desperate for a goal, stooped to his knees and applied the perfect diving-headed finish to send the visiting support into celebration.

Not one to miss out on a party, Lita rushed over to the fans to embark on the joyous occasion, and received a booking from referee Alan Wiley for doing so. With tongue firmly in cheek, Lita patted Wiley on the back, as if declaring that a booking was worth it after waiting since the opening day of the season to double his league tally.

Not willing to rest of the prospect of a draw, Reading again came at Chelsea, but the latter pushed themselves back in front after a clinical counter-attack.

Substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips received the ball on the half way line, before knocking it past Nicky Shorey and easily beating the left back in a foot race. The miniature-midfielder then used his self-created time and space to look up and pick Drogba out at the far post with a floated delivery.

Intelligently, Drogba pulled away from his marker and created a free header for himself, knocking the ball down and beyond the advancing Hahnemann.

Employing the never-say-die attitude that is familiar to Chelsea themselves under the captaincy of John Terry, Reading pushed forward and again threatened to take the contest by the scruff of the neck.

Top scorer Kevin Doyle, who was playing fantastically well in an unfamiliar role down the left, found himself inside the Chelsea box with a rare scoring chance for himself on the day. In uncharacteristic fashion however, Doyle passed on the opportunity to restore equality to the scoreline and fired wildly over from only eight yards.

With the pressure building, Chelsea maestro Michael Essien conceded a handful of free kicks just outside his own box, and it was from one of these that Nicky Shorey delivered a peach on a centre. Totally unmarked, Gunnarsson came to meet the ball but nodded inches wide when in truth he should have done better.

The Royals were again rewarded for their hard work and spirited attitude when a moment of bizarre, but none-the-less good, fortune gifted them the equaliser. One of Reading`s outstanding performers of the day, Kevin Doyle, received the ball on the half way line. With seemingly nothing on, Doyle turned and powerfully ran his way past his three Chelsea markers. Using his left foot he sent a hopeful curling delivery into the area, only for it to evade his target, Leroy Lita.

With no real apparent signs of danger, Ashley Cole, a summer signing from rivals Arsenal, hurried a clearance and sent the ball crashing into team mate Michael Essien. Unable to move, Essien unwillingly diverted the ball into his own net, and past the sprawling dive of Blues ‘keeper Hilario.

With a bemused look on their faces, the Reading team celebrated the security of an unlikely point at Stamford Bridge, and as Jose Mourinho glum-fully admitted in his post match interview, it was no more than the admirable Royals deserved.