With the Capital battered by snow and strong winds over the Easter weekend it would have come as no surprise if this game had been affected by the conditions.
However, despite being very cold, the conditions were ideal and the pitch looked in good nick. With both sides pushing towards the top of the league it always promised to be an intriguing and exciting affair and both teams played their part in a compelling 90 minutes of end-to-end football.
Billy McKinlay continued to utilise the First Team’s large squad by bringing in a number of players with game time from this season.
Having completed a loan spell with Championship side Barnsley, Tony Warner started in goal. Alongside Development Squad regulars Elliot Omozusi and Adrian Leijer, Dejan Stefanovic lined up in a defence which also included Under 18s captain Joe Anderson.
Rob Milsom, back after a month at Brentford, started in the centre of midfield with former Russian international Alexey Smertin. On either flank were Lewis Cumber and Nathan Ashton. Ismael Ehui and Diomansy Kamara completed the line-up for the Whites.
Despite having a strong starting XI to call upon, it was much needed when Reading’s team sheet was announced. Familiar names such as Graeme Murty, Ibrahima Sonko, Bobby Convey and Shane Long were all playing from the start in a bid to impress the watching Steve Coppell.
Perhaps due to the biting cold that surrounded the players, the game kicked off at a frenetic pace and it took just two minutes for the match to see its first chance. It was an excellent opportunity and one which Kelvin Bossman will want to forget. Bobby Convey had been picked out on the right and he side footed the ball across goal. With the goal gaping Bossman placed is shot agonisingly wide of the post when it seemed easier to score. However, Tony Warner should be commended for making his presence felt as the youngster took aim.
It was an early jolt for Fulham and although the Whites’ backline seemed slightly hesitant in the opening exchanges, there was nothing wrong in attack. Successive chances for Ismael Ehui and Joe Kamara alerted the Royals’ defence to the fact that it wouldn’t be one way traffic.
In the opening stages either side could have taken the lead, it so happened that it was Fulham just after 20 minutes of play had elapsed. The pace of Kamara was causing the central defensive pairing of Michael Duberry and Ibrahima Sonko considerable problems.
One such occasion Kamara and Duberry chased down a bouncing ball, as they challenged for it, Kamara was adjudged to have impeded the former Chelsea defender. From the resulting free kick, Reading were keen to take it quickly, however Murty was robbed of possession by Nathan Ashton. Ashton fed the ball to Kamara who raced into the left hand side of the box before whipping a ball across the area. It missed two Fulham players in the six yard box but Lewis Cumber, bursting a lung to reach it at the back post, connected and rifled the ball into the roof of the net off Adam Federici in the Reading goal.
As the pattern of the game had gone previously, Reading showed no signs of lying down and came straight back at Fulham. Just after the Whites scored, Rob Milsom fouled Gylfi Sigurdsson on the edge of the Fulham penalty box. Bobby Convey took the set piece; he shaped to shoot but passed the ball to the right of the wall. Sigurdsson collected and drilled the ball in low and very fast, but Tony Warner got down and managed to get his body behind it and gather safely.
As the half progressed the ball was zipping from end-to-end and it was Fulham that were creating more clear chances, in fact one such chance was scored but ruled out for offside. Alexey Smertin went past two in midfield before feeding Kamara. The Senegalese forward made ground up the centre of the pitch; he saw the diagonal run of Ehui and played him in. The striker finished it off well but was marginally offside.
Both teams were relentless in their play, utilising the pace in both sides to get the ball from goal to goal as quickly as possible. It was making for an interesting spectacle and despite the Whites holding the one goal advantage, Reading certainly had it within them to strike back at any time.
The players ran out in the second half and were met by a light, misty rain which made for some interesting tackles and the ball sliding faster off the surface than in the first half. If anything it was the home side who seemed more at ease with the conditions. Good strength by Kamara allowed him to run into the box before cutting the ball back to Ehui eight yards out but his strike partner shot wide.
Ibrahima Sonko was looking decidedly awkward at the back for Reading. He gained possession of the ball outside his own area and passed straight to Kamara; he tried to make space for the shot but Duberry and Tom Hateley closed the space well to deny him.
Fulham were upping the momentum and looked dangerous every time they broke into Reading’s half. Following another close offside and a free-kick in a dangerous position, the Whites finally got the second goal. Nathan Ashton had his back to the touchline and rolled the ball into the path of Ehui. The striker jinked his way into the box, around Sonko and slipped the ball in at the near post to give Fulham a two-goal cushion.
After the goal Fulham seemed to take their foot of the gas somewhat and Reading went in search of the goals to get them back in the game. However, when their moves did break down it left them extremely venerable at the back with men pushed forward. Another error by Sonko on the halfway line allowed Kamara to break free on goal. He did everything right, cut across the final man, but when it came to shooting he hesitated and instead of slotting it home, he chose to round the keeper. This gave the retreating defence time to make up lost ground and jockey him. As he turned his defender to shoot, Federici jumped gladly on the ball; a great chance went begging.
Buoyed by this, Reading attacked anew but apart from two half chances in the final 10 minutes by substitute Radoslav Vasilev and a Bobby Convey free-kick, they never really threatened Warner’s goal. When the final whistle went, Fulham could be pleased with two victories over Reading during the season and continued progression up the table.
Fulham: Warner; Omozusi, Leijer, Stefanovic, Anderson; Cumber (Smith 63), Milsom, Smertin, Ashton (Thompson 88); Ehui, Kamara
Subs Not Used: Etheridge (GK), Hall
Goals: Cumber (18), Ehui (71)
