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It was rough justice on the Clarets who having got themselves in front never looked like relinquishing that lead until they decided to change tactics about four minutes from the end of normal time. Suddenly the playing to feet was replaced by just banging the ball up the field and it played right into the home side’s hands.
It was our third draw in four visits to the Madejski and we had come from behind to lead in our best performance yet in the new Reading stadium.
The game began very quietly with neither side looking capable of breaking the other down but we were looking the more comfortable with our patient build ups. That was all to change when we conceded the most bizarre of goals with goalkeeper Brian Jensen and left-back Mo Camara the central characters.
It was nothing but a punt upfield from a Reading defender that Mo was getting to with no problem at all but The Beast for some inexplicable reason came surging out of goal to try and get to it. There was certainly no communication and when Mo headed it back to where he thought the keeper was he just in fact headed it into the empty six yard box and Lloyd Owusu just run in to score the easiest goal he will ever get.
Apportion blame as you wish but both were at fault and Mo in particular should not be heading a ball back into his own six yard box without knowing exactly where the keeper is.
Reading nearly got a second a couple of minutes later and of all people it was Glen Little heading, yes I said heading, the ball of the line. We needn’t have feared though because we were only behind for four minutes and this time Camara more than played his part at the other end of the field.
He played the ball down the left wing, a ball which Reading defender Ivar Ingimarsson failed to cut out, to leave Ian Moore clear and the striker hot home past Marcus Hahnemann for his first league goal since the throw one in day at Preston. It looked another awful mistake by a defender but who cared.
That was half way through the first half but was probably the last of the real action in the first forty-five minutes but we looked more than comfortable and the home side were hardly troubling us.
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Reading looked to push up at us more and for the first five to ten minutes of the second half the game seemed to be played mainly in our half of the pitch although we never looked to be in any real danger.
That was as long as it lasted and then we started to play, and when we started to play it was as good as anything we have produced away from home for some time. We were dominating play with Glen Little, how good it is to see this return to form, and Robbie Blake running the show whilst on the limited opportunities Reading had the ball they were hardly troubling us.
Attacking the end where the Burnley fans were sat this most funereal of grounds finally got itself some atmosphere apart from the sad and lone drummer at the other end.
Surely we were going to get ourselves in front, we were now head and shoulders above our hosts. Bradley Orr picked the ball up on the left hand side and crossed. "What a bad ball," said the Claret sat to my right but before he could complete his comment it was 2-1.
In truth it was a bad ball but Steve Sidwell failed to cut it out and it fell for David May who finished in some style. Make no mistake we were more than worth this lead.
Reading made substitutions, we even saw the departure of Shaun Goater without a goal a rare treat for Burnley fans. It made no difference though as we now began to torment the Royals.
Blake to Little, to Blake, to Little, to Blake and so it went and Reading simply had no answer to them. If we want to be critical then perhaps we should have been able to conjure up another goal.
Then with the big electronic clock counting down far too quickly for Reading’s liking we suddenly seemed to think that all we had to do was to defend the lead and the patient passing football was replaced by big clearances out of defence.
Referee Penn, he refereed the game sensibly, added on four minutes. We were now playing into Reading’s hands and were fortunate to escape when they hit the bar. But we didn’t heed the warning and almost three of those extra minutes had gone when the equaliser came.
A point at Reading is a good point but it was the home side celebrating in the end as the Clarets trooped off dejectedly.
A draw is a good result though and it was just the circumstances that left us all dumbstruck and it is a point we would have been grateful for when we set off earlier in the day. There’s no doubt though that if we continue to play like this then relegation worries will be eased long before the season’s end.
We played well and that crazy first half goal apart it is difficult to highlight any real problems anywhere on the pitch with some of the players in outstanding form.
David May, a rock at the back, could easily claim the man of the match award. I’m sure on current form Manchester United must wish he was back at Old Trafford as they seem to have lost the ability to defend.
And then there were Glen and Robbie going forwards. You can take your pick but for the second match in succession I’m going to go for Glen. He’s looked the Glen of old in these last two games and the Glen of old is a player who is going to make one hell of a difference to our side over the next few weeks.
We soon recovered on the return home to talk about the game but another minute and a half and we would have been on forty points and beginning to feel comfortable.
The teams were,
Reading: Marcus Hahnemann, Graeme Murty, Ivar Ingarmarsson, Ricky Newman, Nicky Shorey, Andy Hughes (Scott Murray 71), Steve Sidwell, James Harper, John Salako (Dean Morgan 56), Shaun Goater (Dave Kitson 71), Lloyd Owusu. Subs: Adie Williams, Jamie Young.
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Lee Roche, David May, Mark McGregor, Mo Camara, Glen Little, Richard Chaplow (Bradley Orr 45), Tony Grant, Paul Weller, Robbie Blake, Ian Moore. Subs not used: Paul Rachubka, Dean West, Luke Chadwick, Alan Moore.
Referee: Andy Penn (West Midlands).