Back from the game - Cardiff City

[andrew1957]

I was sat just behind the line of the goal and you could see that there was clear view of the back post after the ball hit the underside. The spin just simply took the ball back out.

Are you saying it was in or out?

[floyd__streete]

No real opinion on the equaliser, I can't tell from the back of Y25 whether that was in or not and anyway we can't have any influence on decisions by the officials. If we hadn't been wasteful with good chances before that - Church and Long you are the guilty parties here - it is academic. Cardiff had good chances second half with Harte once again being given an absolute chasing so they deserve their draw.

Good Reading performance though, we started well and played to our strengths which is keeping a high tempo and getting the ball into the channels. Zurab was a class above all night, Karacan seems to get better with every game and I felt Howard played well. Church had a decent game in the hole but missed his usual presentable chance, NHunt worked hard as did Long - the latter faded in the second, he also missed a bloody good chance and often his first touch was absolutely diabolical. Cardiff are a good side, as well they should be for the money invested on players. Bothroyd is a petulant little twat who spent most of the game on his backside, which is lucky for us because when he isn't feigning being fouled or gobbing off he is a quite excellent player for this division who gave our defence plenty to think about all night long.

[chilipepper91]

First up, the biggie. I thought it was in straight away, from the halfway-line in the West Stand, I wasn't really surprised when they gave it. Gibbs seemed to be making the point about the whole ball being over the whole line, fair enough I guess but in the heat of the moment the lino made the decision. He'd be making an enemy whichever way he gave it.

The inconsistencies between the officials was almost laughable. Bothroyd looking for and winning fouls on our touchline by backing in to Zurab, then when Kish goes down from a barge by the same man, nothing going. So few fouls given for challenges in the air. At one point I thought Mills could lose it with Bothroyd but he managed to regain his composure

Coming away from the game, I thought we were lucky to get a point. However, listening to the BBCRB highlights in the car, it sounded like we had a lot better possession than I remembered. The tactics worked well, we closed them down high up the pitch and their only outlet at all was Bothroyd, who had to keep coming deeper and deeper. Chopra was pretty useless I thought. Having a man up with Long to support him when he won the flicks worked well.

Federici - 7 - okay distribution, nothing he could do about the goal. Was normally hesitant with ball around his area.

Griffin - 7 - solid game, calm on the ball and good tracking of his man.
Kish - 8 - MOTM for me, aside from the booking challenge he pretty much had Bothroyd in his pocket.
Mills - 7 - some crunching tackles, looked really up for this.
Harte - 5 - lost his man (Burke) three times for good chances, luckily the width of the goal and Fed's hand came to our rescue. Slow.

McAnuff - 7 - very up for it tonight, as the only true winger the pressure was on him I guess but he came through well.
Karacan - 6.5 - yes he was everywhere, but too many of these lobbed side-footers that go to nobody.
Howard - 7 - tried too many glory balls, but generally he was solid.
N. Hunt - 6 - yes he scored but did little else really, no left foot at all.

Church - 6.5 - great in the first half, caused their defence lots of problems and of course set the goal up. Faded.

Long - 7 - missed a good chance for 2-0 but did his job very well.

Robson-Kanu - 4 - do not know what this guy is good for, apart from trying to take the ball wider and wider before delivering a shite cross.
Tabb - 6 - shored things up really.

[winchester_royal]

Top performance that, and a thoroughly enjoyable game.

4-4-2 FTMFW.

[pea]

Goes to show how useless a video replay would be for match officials if 50 nobbers can't come to a conclusion an hour and a half after the event with the benefit of opinions from most angles and video replays and freeze frames.

[Winchester Royal]

Goes to show how useless a video replay would be for match officials if 50 nobbers can't come to a conclusion an hour and a half after the event with the benefit of opinions from most angles and video replays and freeze frames.

With a replay, it gives you certainty. If you're not certain it went in, you don't give a goal.

[philM]

Here another look at it a bit closer.
Unfortunately the frame rate on Sky doesnt give you many frames to play with.

[Focher]

im still gobsmacked people dont think its in or are questioning whether its in from the photo posted

[Percy's Rocket]

I was stood right along the line. I haven't seen the replay yet, but it didn't even look close to me. I'm not certain that any Cardiff players appealed for it.

Just look at the photo ! Not even close ??!! Even with no angle the way the ball fell from the bar we all said goal and you can certainly understand why it was given. Can't agree with the radio peeps and Brian who called the decision ridiculous..lino did not have to be on the line to give that.

Noel had no legs left and had to come off but I would have gone for Antonio and Long looked finished as well in the last ten minutes. Much better up front tonight with 442 but no way will we go up without a new striker. Church and Long both missed chances they really have to put away. Lets hope Jimmy comes back at his best soon.

[Focher]

here is my analysis of the goal which i hope makes things a bit clearer

[Victor Meldrew]

Other than Church and Harte I thought everybody else did well.
As with most sides we are 2-3 players short of being up in contention.
An enjoyable game and on chances probably a fair result.
Bit disappointed with Brian on the radio afterwards-there's no way he could know if it crossed the line.
Bothroyd and Kish tonight looked Premiership class and despite his Nani,Ronaldo style of falling over every time the wind blewBothroyd once again gave a fantastic performance and seemed to be everywhere.
Put him in our side and we could even be challenging.
The most entertaining game of the season so far.
Will somebody please tell Brian that our best left-back is wasted on the bench-see other people's comments (other than Andrew) above.

[BenReadingFC]

here is my analysis of the goal which i hope makes things a bit clearer

No spunk or cock's on the pic?....

[Svlad Cjelli]

My thoughts about this goal and goal line technology : http://tinyurl.com/37ncugz

[Focher]

No spunk or cock's on this pic...

sorry Ben my bad

[BenReadingFC]

That's more like it

[Alan Partridge]

Rare game for me, enjoyed it. Thought Reading were the better side and if the forwards of the two sides had been reversed and Reading's chances fell to them I think Reading walk off with a 3-0 win. The misses from Church and in particular Long in the 2nd half are criminal when you are at home to a top side, it should have hmade a busy linesman's decision completely irrelevant.

Jury's out on Harte, thought he was awful in the 1st half, slightly better in the second although only poor finishing stopped his man Burke scoring. He just gets beaten to easily. 3 times Zurab covered him after he just turned his back and gave up even trying to stop Burke beating him and only a stunning block by Griffin stopped a certain goal after Harte was caught out of position for the umpteenth time. It's a balancing act with HArte because he offers loads more than Armstrong going forward but his defensive work for an International defender is nothing short of atrocious.

I thought McAnuff was extremely average but other than that everyone else put a good shift in. 2 centre halves especially Zurab were excellent. I liked the system and I thought the 3 forwards caused problems for Cardiff.

If Reading want to be top 6 they need a number 1 striker. A poacher, goalscorer to partner Long and finish off these chances that were made. Even in the last few minuted HRK and Howard put some excellent crosses in, no one in the box challenging. Criminal. Someone like Kitson or Cureton in their prime would have been in there sniffing a chance out. They both would have scored the chances made for Church and Long during the game.

That's all Reading need, across the park they match up to pretty much every side in the league but ti's the forwards and their lack of goals over the course of the season that will cost them. If they can get someone who can get them 15 goals in the division they can definitely make the top 6. If they don't they'll finish about where they are now. 8th-12th.

[Focher]

Rare game for me, enjoyed it. Thought Reading were the better side and if the forwards of the two sides had been reversed and Reading's chances fell to them I think Reading walk off with a 3-0 win. The misses from Church and in particular Long in the 2nd half are criminal when you are at home to a top side, it should have hmade a busy linesman's decision completely irrelevant.

Jury's out on Harte, thought he was awful in the 1st half, slightly better in the second although only poor finishing stopped his man Burke scoring. He just gets beaten to easily. 3 times Zurab covered him after he just turned his back and gave up even trying to stop Burke beating him and only a stunning block by Griffin stopped a certain goal after Harte was caught out of position for the umpteenth time. It's a balancing act with HArte because he offers loads more than Armstrong going forward but his defensive work for an International defender is nothing short of atrocious.

I thought McAnuff was extremely average but other than that everyone else put a good shift in. 2 centre halves especially Zurab were excellent. I liked the system and I thought the 3 forwards caused problems for Cardiff.

If Reading want to be top 6 they need a number 1 striker. A poacher, goalscorer to partner Long and finish off these chances that were made. Even in the last few minuted HRK and Howard put some excellent crosses in, no one in the box challenging. Criminal. Someone like Kitson or Cureton in their prime would have been in there sniffing a chance out. They both would have scored the chances made for Church and Long during the game.

That's all Reading need, across the park they match up to pretty much every side in the league but ti's the forwards and their lack of goals over the course of the season that will cost them. If they can get someone who can get them 15 goals in the division they can definitely make the top 6. If they don't they'll finish about where they are now. 8th-12th.

spot on assesment AP

[Jackson Corner]

I would still say the lino is guessing, at the speed of play and the angle he is looking from there is no way he can be 100% sure. As mentioned a very good performance tonight and a very enjoyable game. Having just seen the Manc derby with over half a million pounds of so called talent failing to create a single decent chance I know where I would have been tonight.

[Handsome Man]

???????????????????

just paused it perfectly and that is comfortably in, the ball didnt even break the line in full motion

It looks just in to me..

What am I missing? It looks nowhere near in.

[dantheloyalroyal]

here is my analysis of the goal which i hope makes things a bit clearer

And now mine...