[themaclad]

LAST TIME OUT



FORM GUIDE

PNE 14 READING 2



First time I ever saw Reading was this match won 4-1 Reading had the wonderfully name Steve Death between the sticks
Stephen Victor Death (19 September 1949 – 26 October 2003) was an English footballgoalkeeper who played for Reading for almost the entirety of his career. Death was one of the longest-serving players to appear for Reading. He has been described as "Reading's greatest ever goalkeeper".[1]

He joined Reading in 1969 and went straight into the team as first choice goalkeeper, and despite being only 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), the smallest goalkeeper in the Football League, he made the position his own for the next ten years with a total of 537 first team appearances.[1] There were doubts about his height as a goalkeeper immediately on joining Reading. He made his debut on 8 November 1969 in a 1–0 win[2] against Brighton after which the press described him as "an insignificantly built bundle of daredevil energy". Doubts about his height resurfaced after the next game on 22 November 1969 a 6–2 defeat by Southport[3] but Death continued to win the popularity of Reading fans so as to be named their player of the season in his first season for the club.[4]

Death set many other records during his time at Elm Park. He was elected Player of the Season four times for seasons 1969/70, 1972/73, 1973/74 and 1976/77, won PFA Divisional Awards in 1973–74 and 1978–79,[1] collected a Division Four Championship plaque in 1978–79, kept 26 clean sheets in that season,[5] and at one stage made 156 consecutive first team appearances; this remains a club record. Until 31 January 2009, Death held the record of 1,074 minutes without conceding a goal in English league football.[1][6] This record was subsequently broken by Edwin van der Sar playing for Manchester United versus Everton on 31 January 2009
Death died of cancer in 2003, aged 54 in the Duchess of Kent Hospice, Reading. He was survived by his partner, Sharon and his children Justin, Amber and Alexandria.[1]

[themaclad]

PNE Team News

Josh Murphy has returned to full training, but this game will come too soon for him, with manager Ryan Lowe hopeful of having the Cardiff City loanee in the fold for next weekend's trip to Coventry City.

Greg Cunningham, Sean Maguire and Tom Barkhuizen will also be unavailable through injury, with all three not expected to return until at least the end of February.

The Opposition

Reading arrive at Deepdale sat dangerously close to the drop zone, just two points above Peterborough United, having been hit with a six-point deduction earlier in the campaign.

Veljko Paunović's side had the perfect chance to extend that gap on Wednesday night when they faced Posh away from home, but they came away with just a point after a goalless draw.

Now with 15 games left of their season, they will be desperate to put a positive run of form together after what’s been a difficult period.

Key Stats

Reading come into this fixture without a victory in all competitions since November 2021, going winless in their last 12 matches.

A bright spark in their season has been former Chelsea attacking midfielder John Swift, who has played a direct part in 20 goals so far this term, and the 26-year-old has also scored four times in his career against PNE.

North End are looking for a fifth Championship clean sheet in a row for the first time since late 2015, when Simon Grayson's side kept six shut-outs in a row between October and November.

Our Last Victory


North End last came out on top against Reading in November 2020, scoring three second-half goals to earn a victory over the Royals who were flying high at the time.

After Daniel Johnson had seen his penalty saved, strikes from Scott Sinclair, Emil Riis and Brad Potts inflicted a first home league defeat of the 2020/21 season on Reading.

Man In The Middle


Referee John Busby is back at Deepdale on Saturday after taking charge of a PNE game for the first time in his career last month.

That was for the 2-2 draw against Bristol City, when Emil Riis’ last-gasp volley earned his side a late point.

So far this season, he’s refereed 26 matches, showing 98 yellow cards and four red cards.

https://www.royals.org/forum/index.php

MACS VIEW

Time for a home win a rare beast this season the last was the middle of December, who better to play than a club in crisis welcome to Reading who are on one f those hapless runs of failure. Unhappiness on and off the pitch, the fans want the manager sacked, as do some of the players apparently, docked six points for not living within their means as may seven Championship clubs next season.
Players out of contract at the end of the season, just the right type of opposition for a beating. But, our record against them in recent seasons is poor and a side that has the likes of Joao, Meite and Swift who in my book is one of the best midfielders in the country are not to be taken lightly. The Kop is open for home fans things are positive at Deepdale at the moment but we need to start winning home games

[themaclad]

Preston North End 2 Johnson, Archer Reading 3 Joao 2 Swift

PNE line-up: Iversen; van den Berg, Bauer, Hughes; Potts (Lindsay, 35), Whiteman (Ledson, 46), Browne, Johnson, Sinclair; Riis (Evans, 53), Archer. Subs not used: Ripley, McCann, Rafferty, Diaby.

Reading line-up: Hein; Yiadom, Morrison, Holmes, Rahman (McIntyre, 61); Drinkwater, Rinomhota, Swift; Ince (Barker, 90+6), Joao, Hoilett (Meite, 67). Subs not used: Southwood, Meite, Dele-Bashiru, Camara, Abrefa.

Attendance: 12,817 (332 away fans).

Referee: Mr J Busby

Velkjo Paunovic's last match as Reading manager saw them take three big points against a North End side who for an hour had been abysmal an that is being kind. The Royals boss agreed to leave the post before the game didn't tell the players until afterwards and saw them deservedly win 3-2. They have appointed Paul Ince as an interim manager.
They have taken 26 points this season six of them from us, in truth they could have been out of sight long before we made a fight of it in the last 30 minutes, this was a retuurn to the old days for us, slow build up, goals easily conceded and way off the pace, cold have happened last week at Peterborough difference being Reading had a proven goalscorer in Lucas Joao.
Makes you wonder were they would have been in the table if he had not been injured for five months always seems to play well against us and today was no exception.
One change from last week Sinclair in from Earl nd within one minute from the kick off one down, had plenty of chances to clear it didn't and Joao potted from close range.. They were well on top, chased every ball down put defenders under pressure and we obliged by passing to them on many occasions, had a bit of an out ball to Potts who looked like he could cause them problems until he was subbed after 35 minuyes, by which time we were two down.
Joao ran at the defence skipped past one weak tackle before burying the ball past Iversen. He could have had three himself by half time denied by a good save by the Dane.
With the withdrawal of Potts went to four at the back and actually got a head of steam up , should really have reduced the arrears, good work by Sinclair robbing a Reading defender, ball to Riis, two men in acres of space, Riis puts the ball into Sainsbury's on the othet side of Blackpool Road
Ledson for Whiteman at half time, could easily have been three down within a minute or so of the kick off, twice cleared from the line, to say teh defending was abysmal was an understatement. Evans on for Riis and soon three down. Swift ambles up the left wing plays one two with Joao, receives ball in the area wanders past half hearted tackle and curls it past Iversen. The sign for some toleave although within a minute they were coming back as Reading's defence disappeared and Johnson squeezed the ball home.
Reading started to waste time as all clubs do and generally taking the sting out of the game until from a scramble in the goalmouth Archer made it 2-3, game on, with 15 to go. Had half chances Evans probably should have done better from a header about 10 yards out. Sinclair's effort curled just over and Bauer's shot which looked goal bound late on was well blocked but in fairness probably right result cannot give teams three goal starts and expect to win

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Preston manager Ryan Lowe told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"To be 2-0 down after 19 minutes was tough. The game plan goes out of the window, doesn't it?

"We've fought back from that before but, as I've said to the group in there, I don't want to keep doing that.

"We did get another reaction and we possibly could have scored late on to make it 3-3 but that would have been harsh on them, possibly.

"I think the performance in the first half was nowhere near the levels."

Departing Reading manager Veljko Paunovic told BBC Radio Berkshire:

"I think the team is now much better prepared, this win helps the confidence. It's a big statement from the team.

"Today was another day where we gave our best and fortunately the best was enough to get the three points.

"We knew that this result [his dismissal] may happen, coming into the game. I don't know how much this win would have changed the negativity that surrounded me."

[themaclad]