Commentary: Reading 0-1 Spurs

Last updated: 3rd May 2008

Reading v Tottenham Robbie Keane

Keane: Opened scoring

FULL-TIME Reading lose 1-0 to drop into the relegation zone. Spurs took a deserved lead through Keane and although Reading did better after the break, did not deserve a draw. Thanks for everyone's views today. Watch out for post-match reaction.

90 (+1) mins - Lita header Shorey crosses from the right and Lita meets the ball at the near post but heads wide.

89 mins - Injury time announced Three minutes added on.

88 mins - Oster on Oster on for Rosenior.

87 mins - Rosenior chance Rosenior hits a great shot and Cerny does really well to save. Reading take the corner but do not threaten.

85 mins - Kitson chance Kitson shoots from close range effort on the right but Cerny makes a great save fand pushes the ball out for a corner. Reading take the corner but Spurs clear.

84 mins - Reading press Reading win a free-kick which Shorey takes and Cerny pushes out for a corner on the left. Shorey takes the corner but Spurs clear. It is all Reading now.

82 mins - Hand-ball? Reading appeal for hand-ball have Rosenior's effort hits O'Hara but the ref waves on. Replays show it is a good decision.

79 mins - Long on Long is on for Doyle, who has worked really hard today.

78 mins - Ingimarsson shot Ingimarsson shoots from 30 yards out but Cerny deals with the effort easily.

76 mins - Boateng on Boateng on for Keane, a midfielder for a striker as it looks like Spurs are settling for the 1-0.

74 mins - Hit post Bent hits the right post with a low right footed shot after creating space for himself on the right edge of the box.

71 mins - Reading press Reading continue to press the Spurs box, with Shorey getting a cross in, Rosenior having a shot deflected and Lita unable to get onto a through-ball. Spurs are just about fending off the jabs.

69 mins - Reading free-kick Reading win a free-kick on the right touchline 5 yards out. Shorey crosses and Dawson heads out for a corner on the left. Shorey takes and Cerny is nowhere buty Woodgate makes a great header.

65 mins - Matejovsky shot Kitson lays the ball back to the substitute and he puts his right-footed effort just wide of the right up-right. Soon afterwards Reading win a corner on the right and take the kick but the ball goes harmlessly out.

64 mins - Matejovsky on Matejovsky on for Bikey.

63 mins - End-to-end The game is more open, going end-to-end. Bent just fails to get his head on a Keane cross and then Reading break upfield and Cerny has to gather a Doyle cross.

61 mins - O'Hara on O'Hara is on for Huddlestone.

58 mins - Bikey shot After good play, Lita sets the ball back to Bikey on the edge of the box in front of goal. He shoots at goal and Zokora gets in the way of it as it is going in and it is deflected for a corner. Reading take the corner on the left but it misses everyone and Spurs clear.

56 mins - Stalemate Reading are doing much better, having more possession and pressing the Spurs box, but still look vulnerable at the back.

More views Bob says: "A reply to andrews message i think spurs are looking to by Samuel E'too and another goalkeeper."

John says: "Why do tottenham insist on buying strikers? we need a winger for the left and a carrick type player for the middle of the park. What does everybody else think?"

Matt says: "Why on earth would Ramos get rid of Jenas and Lennon - they're both class acts. Looks like we've got it together today, hope we can actually hold the lead for once (please not another 1-1 draw!)"

52 mins - Lita shot Reading are doing much better this half and the ball finds Lita on the right hand of the Spurs box. He tries to place a shot past Cerny but the keeper catches easily.

50 mins - Shorey tackle Spurs again cut into the Royals box and Bent is about to shoot but Shorey makes a great tackle.

48 mins - Doyle chance Doyle has a chance but can not score.

47 mins - Malbranque shot Malbranque should have added a second. KIeane crosses from 5 yards out on the left across goal. It is a powerful cross and Malbranque meets it at the far post but puts his shot into the side-netting.

46 mins - Re-start Spurs get the seond period underway. They play the ball straight up to Bent who heads at goal but Hahnemann saves and Bent is adjudged to have fouled Ingimarsson anyhow.

More views John says: "Keep it together Reading. Strengthen your defence and work on goals in the second half. You know you can do it. Keep us in the game with the big boys!"

Paul says: "Heard through a good source, spurs are after alves and capri fom sevilla and david villa as well.. are these good signing for us ?????"

Thanks for everyone's views so far. Please send your views/predictions to: steve.pass@bskyb.com or if you are using the scorecentre you can use the feedback button.

HALF-TIME Reading are booed off as they go in one down, and it should be two at least. They have to improve greatly after the break to get anything out of this game.

45 mins - Reading free-kick Shorey takes a free-kick 35 yards out on the left and swings the ball in. Bikey can just not get on the end of it at the far post and the ball goes out for a goal-kick.

44 mins - One minute of injury time announced

42 mins - Good defending Keane plays a fantastic one-two with Malbranque and is about to score but Rosenior does great to tackle him just as he is about to shoot. Spurs take the corner and Hutton heads wide of the right-hand upright. A fantastic move!

38 mins - Malbranque shot After stringing together about 20 passes, with Reading getting nowhere near them, the ball falls to Malbranque, who shoots from the edge of the box but Rosenior does well to deflect his effort and the Royals clear.

36 mins - Keane half-chance Spurs again pierce the Reading defence and the ball finds Keane but he can not shoot on target.

35 mins - Hunt shot Hunt has a chance on the edge of the Spurs box, just to the left of goal, but scuffs his shot and the ball goes wide of the left-hand upright.

More views Patrick says: "Where are all the Spurs and Reading fans? I used to live in Basingstoke so Reading was our local team but there was no way I could desert my good old Spurs boys!! Lets get some banter going......of course totally happy that my boys are winning!!"

Andrew says: "It is widely believed that Ramos is planning a wholesale clearout this Summer with the likes of Lennon, Jenas, Chimbonda and Bent some of the names rumoured to be leaving. Does anyone know who Spurs have their eye on as replacements?"

30 mins - Great defending Dawson does really well to dis-possess Lita and concede a corner on the right. Reading take but Spurs clear and break quickly, with Keane eventually running the ball out. Keane fancies his chances against this defence!

More views Paul says: "come on you sprus!!!!! hopefully the defence holds tight , because we have the beating of the this team. keano is pure class."

John says: "i am a massive spurs fan, i would love to see a decent left sided winger for spurs, who would the rest of the spurs fans like to see at the lane?"

27 mins - Waste Shorey gives the ball away and Bent runs againat goal. The ball eventually falls to Malbranque who shoots well wide. Bent should have released the ball a lot quicker.

22 mins - Goal dis-allowed Spurs take the corner and hold possession for two minutes before Keane feeds Malbranque through and he slots home into the bottom left-hand corner but it is adjudged wrongly off-side. He has timed his run to perfection and the goal was good. Reading are very lucky.

21 mins - Spurs free-kick Malbranque is fouled by Bikey and a free-kick is given just outside the box in front of goal. Keane hits the ball goalwards and Hahnemann saves by diving to his left and conceding the corner.

21 mins - Jenas cross Jenas makes a good run into the left-hand side of the box and crosses towards Keane but the ball is cleared.

18 mins - Lita chance Soon after the re-start, Reading press and Lita shoots just over.

16 mins - GOAL!!!!!! Keane opens the scoring for Spurs. He starts the move on the half-way line, finding Bent. Bent makes a fantastic run to open up Reading before feeding the ball through to Keane, who dummies two defenders and slots in with a right-footed shot past Hahnemann.

Patrick happy! Patrick says: "I am sat here in Sydney, Australia having just watched the Man U and Irons match, looking forward to a rollicking good game from Spurs!! Come on you Paxton End boys!!"

14 mins - Malbranque chance Reading's defence is again caught square and Malbranque tries to flick a cross in but the Royals scramble the ball away.

12 mins - Another corner Reading win another corner, this time on the left after a Hunt cross. Cerny again has to punch the in-swinging ball away from the packed six-yard area.

10 mins - Bent shot Malbranque finds Bent who does well to get his shot in, with keeper Hahnemann saving well with his left leg.

9 mins - Reading corner Reading win another corner on the right and Cerny has to punch the in-swinging ball away. He wins a free-kick.

5 mins - Reading corner Reading win a corner on the right and take it short to Shorey who crosses in but the ball is backed back and Cerny gathers.

4 mins - First chance After a lively Reading start, spurs have the first chance of the game. Malbranque crosses from the right and Bent meets the ball at the far post but heads just wide. Unlucky.

Kick-off Reading get the game underway.

Team news Reading are unchanged for this crucial clash.

Emerse Fae and Ibrahima Sonko are not in the squad as both were suspended by the club for refusing to play in a reserve game on Monday.

Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov is not in the squad after picking up a groin injury.

Darren Bent replaces Berbatov, while Tom Huddlestone comes in for Aaron Lennon, who has a knee complaint.

Reading: Hahnemann, Rosenior, Ingimarsson, Duberry, Shorey, Doyle, Harper, Bikey, Hunt, Lita, Kitson. Subs: Federici, Cisse, Oster, Long, Matejovsky.

Spurs: Cerny, Hutton, Dawson, Woodgate, Gilberto, Jenas, Zokora, Huddlestone, Malbranque, Keane, Bent. Subs: Robinson, Chimbonda, Boateng, Taarabt, O'Hara.

Welcome Welcome to The Madejski Stadium where Reading entertain Spurs. Steve Coppell's side need the win, hovering just one point above the drop zone before a trip to relegated Derby on the last game of the season. As per usual, please send your views/predictions of the game to: steve.pass@bskyb.com or if you are using the scorecentre you can use the feedback button.