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It took us just under three hours to get to Berkshire, not too bad compared with the journey for the Clarets based in Lancashire. We paid £8 to park at the greyhound stadium, about a ten minute walk from the ground. As we strolled towards the impressive Madejski Stadium, my dad got talking to a very knowledgeable Reading fan who sold us a programme. He asked us how our journey down had been and instructed us how to get away after the game. Fans like this are a breath of fresh air nowadays; I can guarantee you now that he wasn't one of the Reading fans that taunted us for most of the game instead of watching the match.
As expected, Coyle named the same starting XI that beat Watford on Tuesday night with Penny, Mahon, Eagles, Blake and Rodriguez named as the very attacking substitutes. As the teams came out, I wasn't concerned that we may lose by a few goals. We were the underdogs and most expected us to lose considerably. Anything we got from this game would be a bonus.
I was hoping we would keep it tight for the first ten minutes, but how wrong I was. It took only four minutes for Reading to continue with their ever-impressive scoring record. A cross from the left evaded everyone and Jimmy Kebe picked up the loose ball. The Mali international put in a hopeful cross which found Noel Hunt, who rose highest to guide his header into the top corner. Hunt got a blow to the head in his efforts and was shortly substituted and replaced with another Irishman: Shane Long. Conceding early goals is something I really dislike. It deflates fans, gives the other team momentum and knocks the team that has conceded back a peg or two, often leaving them questioning tactics or being forced to regroup.
Fortunately the latter wasn't the case and the Clarets went in search of an equaliser. Gudjonsson's firm strike was easy for Marcus Hahnemann, Chris McCann blazed over and Jordan had an audacious attempt from twenty yards tipped over the crossbar. Things soon settled down again and the next chance fell to the hosts. Chris Armstrong's skilful, mazy run almost saw him through on goal but Stephen Jordan arrived from nowhere to toe the ball out for a corner in a superb last-ditch tackle.
Back went Burnley though, and Steven Thompson found space on the edge of the Reading box only to scuff his shot wide of the target. Reading were giving us too much room in front of their back four and they couldn't have complained one bit if we had drawn level. There was also vast amounts of space on the wings and Elliott often had acres in front of him to attack, something he didn't do enough for me.
A dangerous ball in from Paterson soon after was nervously cleared by Liam Rosenior with Thompson lurking immediately behind him as Burnley continued to press. We had perhaps our best chance of the game shortly after. A ball to the back post was cushioned down by McCann but the ball missed a host of onrushing attackers and the Royals were able to clear what would have been a golden chance on another day. This was to be the last action of the half and some might say we were unlucky to be going in behind. Jordan had been my man of the half; he tackled and headed whatever came his way. Hahnemann seemed to be kicking in his direction, as if to exploit him and he had so far coped very well.
Very poor half time entertainment, which I might add was not a patch on our very own 'Pie and Chips', saw some Reading fans attempt to kick balls against the corner flag from the corner of the eighteen yard box. Let's just say it wasn't the best piece of entertainment I've had the pleasure of watching and the second half couldn't come quick enough.
I'd thought to myself just before the interval that half time had come at the wrong time as we were on top and could struggle to build that momentum again in the second half. That thought stuck in my mind into the final 45 minutes and it was almost proved right early on. Rosenior crossed deep to an unmarked Stephen Hunt who, unlike his brother before him, couldn't find the net and he somehow headed over. It didn't take him long to join his brother on the scoresheet though and on 52 minutes another deep cross, this time from Kebe, found, again, an isolated Hunt and this time he made no mistake, heading it low for 2-0. "We're not getting anything from this game now" I murmured, I think everyone knew it then.
Duff, who had picked up a knock during the second goal, was replaced with Eagles soon after, leaving Alexander to slot in at right back. I don't think we won an entire second ball from that moment onwards; we desperately missed Alexander when he was moved out of defensive midfield. The defence had lost the shell in front of them that had been there for weeks, protecting them and relieving any pressure.
Paterson tested Hahnemann ever so slightly in our first attack of the half. He attempted to curl the ball round him only for the American goalkeeper to dive to his left and hold the ball. It was soon time for Robbie Blake to enter the fray and he replaced Thompson on the hour mark.
However, the game was over and Reading got their third and final goal with about half an hour left to play. A flick on from a Reading goal kick saw Doyle accelerate away from Carlisle with ease. The highly rated Irish international took Carlisle to the by-line and got an easy cross away, fizzing low and hard across our box. Shane Long was there to meet it and tap in to wrap the game up. The Royals were obviously out of reach by now and I just prayed we wouldn't concede again, thinking of our goal difference we had worked so hard to get back to zero over the weeks, keeping clean sheet after clean sheet and scoring our fair share of goals after a horror start to the season.
The only positive thing left to take from the game was Chris Eagles. The lad jinked, dribbled and generally looked lively where all hope elsewhere in the side had mostly gone. It was the former Manchester United man's deflected effort that was our next attempt on goal, but we could all only watch on as it span wide for a corner. Chris McCann's header from the resulting corner was punched away, once more, by Hahnemann.
There was soon a moment of embarrassment worth mentioning and the triumphant Reading fans lapped it up. Blake was heading through on goal only to collide with Paterson who was coming back from an offside position. The pair simultaneously collapsed to the ground before sheepishly picking themselves up to taunts of 'that was embarrassing' by the Reading faithful. It really was cringeworthy stuff and summed up a fairly bad day at the office for the front two.
There was to be a goal for the Clarets though and it came a minute before the end. The busy Eagles cut onto his right foot from the left flank and put in a pin-point cross for McCann to nod in. 3-1 didn't sound quite as bad as 3-0. Immediately after we won a free kick on the edge of the box; imagine if we could nick another one here! It wasn't to be and Gudjonsson slammed the ball into the blue and white drenched wall in front of him.
We thought that was that, but there was to be one more piece of action left with 20 seconds remaining. Shane Long got the better of Jordan down the right and Jordan, on a caution already, appeared to pull him back. I didn't get a good view of it to be honest so I wasn't sure of the degree of the pull or even if there was one at all. Anyway, Jordan was off and so were we just as the final whistle went seconds later.
A weird game to report on really, we weren't bad, but far from our best and I think Reading were too. Personally, I think we're crying out for a pacey right back with good distribution, one that will get forward and overlap Elliott at pace. Unfortunately they're fairly hard to come by at this level, but it would still be warmly welcomed. Duff could then challenge for his favoured position in one of the centre back places. I think my man of the match Eagles did enough in the game to get a start against Birmingham in a couple of weeks in what will again be a tough game that I'll take a point from.
On another day we could easily have got something from the game, but that's football. Reading had three shots on target and scored three goals; make of that what you will. Not may teams will get something from there this year so I suppose we did reasonably well to at least look threatening. Let's just hope we regain our form and keep it going in what will be perhaps our toughest month. This league is there for the taking a lot of the time and good form at the right time sees teams rise from the bottom to the top in a matter of weeks as we've already seen. Anyway, I'm babbling. Keep the faith and we'll see what happens. Up the Clarets.