On this day

[Sutekh]

http://www.royals.org/matdoc/290907.html

Half Time: 2-1
Full Time: 7-4
Attendance: 20,102

Scorers

Portsmouth: Mwaruwari (7 mins, 37 mins, 70 mins), Hreidarsson (55 mins), Kranjcar (75 mins), Davis (81 mins), Muntari (90 mins, pen).
Reading: Hunt (45 mins), Kitson (48 mins), Long (79 mins), Shorey (90 mins).

Reading managed to score four goals away from home but were still soundly beaten at Portmouth in a record breaking score-line. In a bizarre afternoon of eleven goals Reading perhaps could have clawed their way back into the game before being stuffed out of sight and then grabbing another late consolation. It was an afternoon of plenty of defensive mistakes with Reading taking the prize for being the most shambolic in a very entertaining open fixture. Portsmouth looked good for a two goal half time lead and probably should have been further ahead but for an impressive Hahnemann save. However, Hunt gave Reading a glimmer of hope with a header not far from the line that pulled a goal back before half time. After the break Kitson made the most of some poor goalkeeping to pull the game level.

With fifty-five minutes on the clock, Portsmouth restored their lead, only to conceed a penalty. Had Nicky Shorey put it home then the game may have taken on a different complexion with the scores level at 3-3. Shorey's penalty was simple for the goalkeeper and a potential life-line was wasted. Instead on 75 minutes the score was 5-2 to the home side and the game appeared out of reach of the Royals. But the goals continued to come. Shane Long, off the bench, got the final touch from a James Haper attempt on goal to make it 5-3 and set up a possibly dramatic finish. Portsmouth had looked the better side and made the score-line reflect that when they added two more goals making it a ridiculous 7-3, with the second of those from the penalty spot. There was still time for another goal deep in injury time when Shorey made up for his penalty kick by scoring a deflection to make it finish 7-4.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty (Long 77), Duberry, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Rosenior, Gunnarsson (Fae 77), Harper, Hunt, Doyle, Kitson. Subs Not Used: Federici, Lita, Bikey.

[Emmer Green Royal]

How times change - we started with Kitson and Doyle up front, with Long and Lita on the bench. If only we had that strength up front this season.

[Snowflake Royal]

Kermie scored about as many as Kitson managed in a season with us prior to 2005 last year. And Bod and Mendes both scored more Championship goals last season than any of Long, Lita or Doyle did before 2005.