Royals end home hoodoo

Sub Rasiak grabs late winner to lift Reading out of bottom three

By Ben Collins   Last updated: 21st November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Royals end home hoodoo

Rasiak: Late winner

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Grzegorz Rasiak came off the bench to head a late winner for Reading - and finally end their wait for a home league win.

The Royals had not won a league game at the Madejski Stadium since January - a run of 17 matches - but climbed out of the relegation zone after a much-improved performance.

Gylfi Sigurdsson put them ahead with a cool finish in the 52nd minute, only for Brett Ormerod to level six minutes later and leave Brendan Rodgers' side looking at yet another draw.

But Rasiak met Marek Matejovsky's cross to head home an 82nd-minute winner and give the home fans a long-awaited win.

Sharp start

Jobi McAnuff demanded a sharp save from Matthew Gilks in the opening 30 seconds as the Royals flew out of the blocks.

Brian Howard then stung the palms of Gilks with a free-kick before Simon Church was desperately unlucky not to open the scoring.

Howard whipped in a corner to the near post and after getting ahead of his marker, Church flicked a volley goalwards and against the outside of a post.

McAnuff then stood up a cross to the far post which Jimmy Kebe volleyed into Gilks' midriff as Rodgers' side piled on the pressure.

Sigurdsson and Church saw efforts drift narrowly wide before the half-hour mark while Ben Burgess finally had an effort for Blackpool when Adam Federici tipped his drive around the post.

That was an isolated break for the visitors, however, and Church again went close but dragged his effort wide of the far post.

For all Reading's domination, Burgess then thumped a shot against a post at the end of a swift counter-attack as the sides somehow went in at half-time on level terms.

Yet the Royals finally forged ahead shortly after the restart as McAnuff broke clear down the left and crossed for Sigurdsson, who showed admirable composure to take a touch and clip the ball beyond Gilks and into the far corner.

It was just the fourth league goal Reading have scored at home all season.

Quick equaliser

However, the Royals were unable to hold on as Ormerod soon hauled Ian Holloway's men level.

Keith Southern span a pass out to Charlie Adam on the left after a sustained period of possession and Adam delivered a pinpoint cross for Ormerod to hook in at the near post.

The lively Church was injured as he stretched awkwardly so Rasiak came on as Reading looked desperately for a winner.

And the Poland international duly delivered late on, reacting well to nod in Matejovsky's cross after Gilks had punched a corner away.