Nationwide Division One
Reading 2 West Ham United 0

Saturday, 3rd April 2004
by Lee Harvey

Awful...

The one word to sum up the team performance today.

That day started off well; we got to Reading nice and early to find out that the pub outside the station was for away supporters only. A few drinks in there and then on to the bus where everyone seemed up for the game with singing all the way to the ground.

The Mad Stad was impressive, but you had to walk a mile just to get the the bloody gate you needed to go in. Straight into the stadium and only a few rows from the goal; wonderful, this day could only get better - or so I thought.

A good chance for West Ham came early on with a free-kick straight from the training ground. Harewood turned on the ball (when he had been in the wall shielding the ball) and smashed a great shot goalwards, only for Reading goalkeeper Ashdown to make a great save.

Reading started well though, with former England international John Salako their main threat. Our strikers failed to hold up the ball effectively, and Harewood was having a nightmare on the right. Pardew has seen enough with less than half an hour played and introduced Nowland as a replacement. Harewood must be injured, we thought - though it was far from a bad move by Pardew - yet one we and him would live to regret. Reo-Coker moved to the right, with Nowland moving in to the centre.

David Connolly went close with a touch that went narrowly wide of the post, but that was about all our strikers produced all afternoon. Reading's first goal came from a ball put across the six-yard box. What followed was something so bad, it was unreal. Melville waited for Bywater, Bywater waited for Melville only for David Kitson (a third division striker at the start of the season) to ghost in to poke the ball past Bywater.

Carrick went on a mazy run only be brought down in or around the edge of the area. "Penalty", the away supporters claimed - only for the very poor ref (a Mr P.Joslin) not to award it. From that moment on, you knew it was not going to be our day.

West Ham were booed off at half-time by quite a few of the away supporters; it looked like the whole team was not up for the game - full-stop. Only Matthew Etherington looked like producing anything. A marching band at half time briefly took our mind off things.

The team came our for the second-half as they had finished the first. Zamora and Nowland wasted opportunities, then, from a corner, Dailly headed the ball against the back of a Reading player's head which fell to Kitson at the far post; he finished well to put Reading 2-0 up.

Connolly was replaced by Deane, which was another strange decision by Pardew. Connolly, who in many fans eyes was our biggest threat was substituted - instead of Bobby Zamora, who was having another poor game. More boos followed as Connolly made his way off the pitch.

Etherington still looked like our main threat. He used his pace and skill to his advantage but had little help from anyone else in the team. A good ball across found Carrick but he failed to profit, and another of the few chances we had today passed away.

Hutchinson was introduced late on in place of Melville in the vain hope that we could somehow steal a point from the game. Hutch looked lively in a short space of time. He went close with about three minutes to go, but a Reading defender blocked his shot from no more than six yards out.

Nothing of any real note occured in the final few minutes, and the final whistle concluded what was another awful away day with the Hammers.

The good news arrived after the match. England were looking like winning the cricket, Wigan and Sheffield United had lost and we were still in the play-offs (in fourth place, as after last week's matches). We have two games coming in the space of three days next week; our season could hinge on those.

Keep the faith...

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Player Ratings

Stephen Bywater
Was at fault for the first goal (with Melville) and spilt a few shots. His kicking was awful, most ending in touch.


Jon Harley
Did not do too much wrong but not great defensively. Looked poor along with the rest of the back four (and keeper) today.


Andy Melville
At fault for the first goal (with Bywater). Didn't win many headers and looked slow, one on one.


Christian Dailly
Did not do too much wrong - but did nothing right. Needs to improved his heading the ball; still gives away too many free-kicks.


Tomas Repka
Lost his head a few times and got booked again (for the 15th time this season). Was our best defender today (which wasn't too hard) and was marking two men whilst Harewood was on the pitch.


Nigel Reo-Coker
Looked lightweight and didn't get stuck in. Got brushed off the ball too easily; poor today.


Michael Carrick
Got stuck in the most in midfield. Did not really got on top of the game (as he has of late) but stood firm when others around him were not.


Marlon Harewood
For the short time he was on he was awful. He didn't work back and looked out of sorts on the right. But I still think Pardew was wrong to take our top goalscorer off!


Matthew Etherington
The only bloke who wanted to play for us today. Was our biggest threat and a must for Hammer of the Year.


Bobby Zamora
Awful, awful, awful. Failed to hold the ball up, created one chance - and missed it with a header. As I say, awful.


David Connolly
Worked hard but created little. Had our best chance but knocked it narrowly wide of the post. Pardew was wrong to take him off and not Zamora.



Substitutes

Adam Nowland
(Replaced Harewood, 28) You can see why he had been playing for Wimbledon. Looked very poor against a poor team. Hutchison was the better bet.


Brian Deane
(Replaced Connolly, 56) Held the ball up better than Zamora and tried hard. Did not have that much of an effect on the game as a whole.


Don Hutchison
(Replaced Melville, 71) Looked lively when he came on and many will call for him to start the next game.


Pavel Srnicek
Did not play.


Hayden Mullins
Did not play.



Match Facts

West Ham United: Stephen Bywater, Jon Harley, Andy Melville, Christian Dailly, Tomas Repka, Nigel Reo-Coker, Michael Carrick, Marlon Harewood, Matthew Etherington, Bobby Zamora, David Connolly.

Goals: None.

Booked: Nigel Reo-Coker 16 Tomas Repka 52        .

Sent Off: None sent off.     .

Reading: Ashdown, Murty, Hughes, Ingimarsson, Newman, Brooker, Harper, Sidwell, Salako, Morgan, Kitson.

Subs not used: Gordon, Goater, Young.

Goals: Kitson (35, 52).

Booked: Newman (59).

Sent off: None.

Referee: P.Joslin.

Attendance: 21,718.

Man of the Match: tbc.