It's clean sheet time again on our travels

Micah Hyde - came in for Tony Grant

Although I heard one dissenting voice as I left at the end the fact is the rest of the Burnley fans were on their feet at the final whistle saluting the players for another job well done, but it is still taking some getting used to.

Yes, we have only scored one goal away from home but we have conceded just one on six games which means we have now kept five clean sheets on the road. The only goal conceded was a fluke at West Ham and it is worth noting that the likes of Danny Webber, Jason Roberts, Nathan Ellington, Dion Dublin, David Connolly and now Dave Kitson have all had the same result against us – no goals.

This was always set to be a difficult one, Reading in their best league position in their history and bang in form, and we had a blow before kick off when Tony Grant wasn’t well enough to start after feeling ill.

Grant is a vital member of the midfield but we had a replacement in Micah Hyde. The only other change from Tuesday saw Michael Duff regain the right back spot from Richard Duffy after completing his suspension.

We started comfortably and even created a half chance for ourselves but Jean-Louis Valois elected to try a spectacular volley and it just about stayed inside the ground. But in the first ten minutes of the game we saw nothing from the home side but then they should have gone in front.

Dave Kitson looked to be offside by some distance but the flag waver didn’t bother. John McGreal tried to stop him in his tracks, he could so easily have given a penalty away, but Kitson got away only for Danny Coyne to make an excellent save to keep him out.

Reading got forward well at times and Kitson was a major threat in the air but they hardly created anything resembling a clear cut chance as yet again this Burnley defence showed just why they are the best in the division.

Coyne made nothing more than a couple of routine saves after the scare with Kitson earlier and probably the best chance of the half fell to the Clarets at the other end but Robbie Blake shot just wide.

So 0-0 at half time just as it has been in every single away match this season, and the away fans let the players know just how pleased they were with it as they left the field at half time.

One thing that wasn’t going to happen in the second half was the home side getting a lift from their fans. We talk about the poor atmosphere at the Turf but it isn’t poor at the Madejski, it is non-existent.

There is a lone drummer who would be better placed just up the M4 at Windsor Castle out of the way of football fans, he really is a complete and unnecessary pain, and he has a following of around twenty who seem to clap on occasions.

Apart from that it is quieter than being in the library and must be an awful place to play in week after week. Thank goodness for the Burnley fans who as always got behind the side on their travels.

The second half followed a similar pattern but there was a spell around the hour mark when we seemed to find ourselves under some enormous pressure and unable to get ourselves any possession.

Coyne made a couple of good saves but thankfully we saw it off without him having to make a really serious save although he did keep one out with his legs.

Frank Sinclair - Man of the Match performance as we keep another clean sheet

I have to admit that the reception from the Burnley fans surprised me but just as was the case with Driss Diallo last season he was booed by a section of the Clarets fans who were clearly not happy with his decision to walk out at the end of his contract rather than go earlier which would have brought us a fee.

Little himself looked surprised as he looked up initially presumably to milk the applause that was not as he expected.

He had no impact on the game other than to miss an opportunity that was presented to him after a mistake by Mo Camara and thankfully the 3^rd Reading substitute Shaun Goater did little to worry us too.

Goater has scored far too many goals against the Clarets over the years, including two hat tricks on the Turf, but there was to be nothing at all this time.

They did have the ball in the net but hand ball was rightly given and it was the Clarets who came closest to winning it. There were two late raids down the right hand side but Reading keeper Marcus Hahnemann just about dealt with them whilst Branch almost won it for us with a glancing header from a left wing cross.

But another performance we can all be proud of and for the second week we have knocked the league leaders off the top of the league.

As always the first look is to the defence for the Man of the Match and this time for me it was Frank Sinclair although there is no doubt that there were other contenders.

A special word of praise too for Robbie Blake who once again worked his socks off up front on his own. It is not really what he is best at but his performance again epitomises the whole Clarets performance.

We are difficult to beat, we are difficult to score against, and long may that last – we have to go back eleven years to the play off season to find three successive away games without a goal conceded and goodness knows when we last only conceded one in six.

And now for the second rest of the season before we return with yet another difficult game – just the fourth in the league this time away from home.

The teams were,

Reading: Marcus Hahnemann, Graeme Murty, Andy Hughes (Glen Little 69), Ibrahima Sonko, Nicky Shorey, James Harper, Steve Sidwell, Ivar Ingimarsson, Paul Brooker (Bobby Convey), Nicky Forster (Shaun Goater 78), Dave Kitson. Subs not used: Jamie Young, Ricky Newman.

Burnley: Danny Coyne, Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, John McGreal, Mo Camara, Ian Moore, Richard Chaplow, Micah Hyde, Graham Branch, Jean-Louis Valois, Robbie Blake. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Richard Duffy, Tony Grant, Amadou Sanokho, Matt O’Neill.

Referee: Andy Penn (West Midlands).

Attendance: 15,400 (top of the league, half empty ground).