This was one of those games where the action off the pitch felt as important as the action on it. Therefore I can't say I remember loads from the game. But from the stands its safe to say we more than made our point. There were some fantastic chants and the volume we made could probably be heard all the way back in Hertfordshire. It was just a shame we couldn't sing "Rodgers, what's the score" but there is always April 24 if he survives until then which I think he will unless Reading look in serious danger of relegation. Madjeski doesn't seem like the sort of chairman to chop and change too frequently.
As with last week against Leicester we seemed to need a half time team talk to get us going. The first half action on the pitch didn't really live up to the hype. Frustratingly it was McAnuff and Raziak who combined to put Reading 1-0 up. However, it was pleasing to see that Jobi was as inconsistent as ever for them and we jeered him as he was taken off with 20 minutes to go.
The only one of their players we gave a warm reception to was Gunnarsson who came on in the second half. He was solid and workmanlike as ever and one wonders why on earth Aidy thought he should've been got rid of. He could have been the rock in our midfield for the last four seasons and would've spared us the frustration of Mahon, Eustace and Severin.
Up front we partnered Graham and Lansbury and, yet again, the Arsenal man was guilty of trying to play perfect football. This often resulted in promising positions being foiled because he tried to beat his man once too often. When he was replaced by Ellington we suddenly looked a lot more threatening and it was no coincidence that our goal came just 4 minutes after Duke had come on, Danny Graham heading in to send the away end mental.
Nathan only lasted 20 minutes before getting his second yellow card. This galvanised a Reading side who had been as quiet in the second half as they had been busy in the first. We went from looking like we might get a winner to hanging on, especially as the remaining ten men didn't know whether they should be playing keepball or going for the winning goal. As a result, we kept giving the ball away and there were some very nervous moments in the overly generous added on time.
Judas hugged the Watford players he knew as they came off the pitch after the final whistle and Malky did the same with Raziak and Jobi. We sang Malky's song and booed Rodgers. Overall, it was a satisfying afternoon with a job done by both the players and supporters. We can now look forward to the clash at the end of the season when, hopefully, we'll avenge both Judas' betrayal and Stuart Atwell's ghost goal.
