Yet more misery for Royals

Reading slumped to an eighth consecutive defeat as they went down 2-1 at home to Aston Villa.

Villa move level with Liverpool and Everton in race for fourth

Reading slumped to an eighth consecutive Premier League defeat as they went down 2-1 at home to Aston Villa. Ashley Young and Marlon Harewood were the heroes for Villa, while Nicky Shorey's late free-kick proved to be nothing more than a consolation for the Royals. Both sides created few clear-cut opportunities during the opening half an hour, as defences strained under opposition pressure without actually cracking. However on 32 minutes a scuffed shot from the edge of the box by Craig Gardner struck the arm of Kalifa Cisse as he looked to close the effort down and referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot. Villa skipper Gareth Barry then took the responsibility of trying to put his side ahead, but only succeeded in slicing his penalty woefully wide of Marcus Hahnemann's goal. On the stroke of half-time Villa did take the lead though when Cisse misjudged a ball down the line and Gabriel Agbonlahor was able to square a pass to Young who made no mistake from 10 yards out. Reading had their chances to equalise at the start of the second period, but Stephen Hunt and Dave Kitson both found their route to goal blocked by heroic defending. With Villa then starting to dominate on the counter, Harewood made the points safe six minutes from time. Young led the breakaway before presenting an opportunity to Harewood to curl a stunning effort into the top corner past a helpless Hahnemann. Deep into injury-time Shorey pulled one back for Reading when his 25-yard free-kick was pushed into his own goal, via the post, by a disappointed Scott Carson.

Nervous

Reading chairman John Madejski had called for the fans to turn the stadium into a "cauldron of optimism" before the game, but although James Harper planted a shot into Scott Carson's midriff within 30 seconds, it quickly became apparent Villa would simply not allow any release from the paralysis that has gripped the home side's season. Young's fourth goal of the campaign may have taken 45 minutes to arrive but when it did, it was merely the inevitable result of his side's superiority and the home players' lack of confidence. Reading's centre-back pairing of Ibrahima Sonko and Kalifa Cisse could not have complained had they both been replaced at half-time, so nervous and error-ridden was their play. Cisse's early errors allowed John Carew two sights of goal but the Norwegian's forte is heading the ball not kicking it and Marcus Hahnemann in the home goal was not unduly worried. Nor was he required to make a save when Cisse was harshly adjudged to have used a hand in blocking Craig Gardner's shot in the 32nd minute as Gareth Barry, having previously dispatched four previous penalties this term, lazily sliced his spot-kick wide. But when Cisse sold himself on the right touchline to allow the fit-again Gabriel Agbonlahor to race away, it was inevitable that Martin O'Neill's side would finally gain the advantage they deserved. Agbonlahor squared the ball to Young, who had all the time and space in the box to make sure his shot was high enough to beat Hahnemann and Graeme Murty, the man on the line. Reading had chased every ball and contested every tackle but, that early Harper shot apart, had looked every inch a side that had lost their way alarmingly in recent weeks and have still to pick up a point in 2008. Sonko had been cautioned for a foul on Carew just