Fulltime: Bristol City v Reading
Bristol City 1 Reading 1
Bristol City's habit of conceding late goals came back to haunt them once again after Simon Church grabbed a last minute leveller.
-
Full-time report from Bristol City
The young Welshman was sent off - shown a second yellow card - for going into the crowd to celebrate having earlier been booked for dissent before he came on as a substitute.
Church finished well after a cross from fellow replacement Jimmy Kebe.
Paul Hartley's penalty had looked set to give City a scarcely deserved win over Reading - and what would have been a first home success in two months.
After City grabbed an early advantage, the Royals dominated for most of the first half, missing a host of chances to level.
After the break it was not much better as neither side could wrestle control of the midfield.
City boss Gary Johnson had handed striker David Clarkson his first start since the 3-0 defeat t Cardiff in Augaust in today's home game with Reading.
And after his shot was blocked, Cole Skuse sent in a rocket effort that Adam Federici tipped over.
Jamie McAllister then tested Federici with a curling free kick he held well before Tabb's crazy challenge knocked over Nicky Maynard inside the box.
Hartley stepped up to fire in his third goal of the season into the roof of the net from the penalty spot.
Reading should have equalised soon after when Jobi McAnuff played in Grzegorz Rasiak and the Pole fired straight at the advancing keeper Dean Gerken.
At the other end Maynard's low 25-yarder flew just wide before Gylfi Sigurdsson beat the offside trap, rounded Gerken and only a last ditch sliding block from Bradley Orr.
Icelander Sigurdsson then fired straight at Gerken from the edge of the box as Reading pushed hard for a leveller.
City could have doubled their lead on 38 minutes but the recalled Louis Carey flicked Hartley's free kick well wide.
Then the hosts had another shout for a penalty when Ryan Bertrand's back header was short, Orr nipped in and the left-back appeared to nudge the City man off the ball to prevent him getting a shot in.
But Reading threatened again when Alex Pearce's shot was stabbed wide for a corner and Marek Matejovsky's lob was held on the line by Gerken.
After the break, Reading looked to have a claim for a penalty when Gerken appeared to nudge Shane Long over in the box. But referee mark Haywood was not interested and it could have been 2-0 when Carey latched onto Orr's cross but dragged his shot just wide.
City were then exposed down their right and Matejovsky's shot was deflected wide for yet another corner.
Gary Johnson replaced the ineffective Evander Sno with Marvin Elliott and Clarkson with Alvaro Saborio while Mali winger Kebe came on for the visitors.
Rasiak tried his luck with a spectacular overhead shot from the edge of the box as the side with the caretaker manager continued to bely their league position.
But chances were few and far between with Maynard belting one over from range on 82 minutes before substitute Church shot wide of the near post after a Kebe cross.
On-loan Chelsea left-back experienced an eventful end to the game when he was booked before forcing a superb finger-tip save from Gerken.
And Reading got the goal their performance merited and held on when Pearce almost headed past his own keeper.
Bristol City (3-5-2): Gerken; Carey, Fontaine, Nyatanga; Orr, Skuse, Hartley, Sno (Elliott 62 sub Williams 85), McAllister; Clarkson (Saborio 70), Maynard. Subs: Johnson, Williams, Edwards, Henderson, Haynes.
Reading (4-4-2): Federici; Tabb (Gunnarsson 46), Pearce, Ingimarsson, Bertrand, Sigurdsson (Kebe 65), Cisse, Matejovsky, McAnuff; Long (Church 74), Rasiak. Subs: Armstrong, Mills, Karacan, Hamer.
10 Comments
by Bugger, Bristol
Monday, December 21 2009, 1:09AM
“Johnson OUT! Fed up of watching the same boring predicatble football week after week.”
by HKM, Bristol
Sunday, December 20 2009, 6:28PM
“It was shocking yesterday. Even the lovely Paul Hartley looked out of sorts. There were a few times when the ball was kicked up field into spaces - with no player there! Danny Haynes should have been upfront with Nicky Maynard. Too much heading of the ball, not enough runs up the pitch and too much space was given to Reading, who should have beaten us.
I don't know what the solution is but there seems to be no consistency in the way we play, apart form letting goals in with minutes (or seconds) to go!”
by simmo147, Portishead
Sunday, December 20 2009, 4:37PM
“Hopefully the myth City play free flowing attacking football can finally be put to bed.”
by Phil, Bristol
Sunday, December 20 2009, 3:21PM
“Dreadful TRUELY dreadful yesterday, simply Reading should have beat us and beat us well, we did well to get a point which was more than we deserved.
Tactically inept, playing 5-3-2 at home against a struggling side we just played into their hands.
Many players had off games and many seem to be struggling for motivation under the current manager after being shifted round into different positions week in week out.
Fans are understandably booing the team off at the end, that said the crowds are getting lower all the time with only just over 13k city fans in attedance.
The football is dire and pay on the day fans dropping like flies, corporate areas are no where near full, which means we will make yet more massive losses this season.
Johnson's blown massive amount of money on crap like Styvar, John, etc and really it's a case that Johnson needs to go AND SOON,
he even had the cheek to moan about the fans playing a part in the dropped points!
JOHNSON OUT!”
by tractor boy, ipswich
Sunday, December 20 2009, 1:45PM
“Snowed under here, didn't miss much. Johno reverted back to his wild fomations again.Haynes on one wing and a replacement for Mcindoe keeping Clarkson up front has got to be better than this. Adebola was worth the contract, him and Trundle are coming back to haunt us.”
by ziderian, Cheltenham
Sunday, December 20 2009, 1:19PM
“Dissappointing performance against a struggling side. On the plus side we're still in touch with the play-off places. But we need some tactical changes to get in those places.
Lawrence in Canada - we're not in the top 6 at Christmas. I owe you a Moose Burger mate.”
by Terry (disgruntled season ticket holder), Bristol
Sunday, December 20 2009, 10:48AM
“Reading were by far the better team and should have won comfortably. The penalty decision was a bit iffy, but a later appeal should have been given. Is Gary Johnson silly or stuborn. His formation is just not working. I think it is time for some radical changes either with players or management.Go back to the 4 4 2 formation which worked and cut out the long ball. Play to the players strengths, keep the ball on the groung. Whichever the loyal fans are getting a bit fed up with the negativities and poor results. Against Reading it was not a point gained but two points lost. Shape up or ship out.”
by Paul, Whitchurch
Sunday, December 20 2009, 9:41AM
“The reality is both results and performances have been on a steady decline since we lost the play-off final.
Admittedly we are only a few points off the play-offs, but can anybody say we deserve to be there, or will remain in that position, given the performances in the last 3 months?
It seems to me that Johnson has lost the dressing room.
There doesn't appear to be any pattern to our play.
Our attacking play in the final third has been toothless for a long time. Midfield is uninspiring without flying wingers and now the defence looks fragile.
Gary sounded lost for ideas on Radio Bristol. He kept referring back to the club "sorting it out on the training ground", but I think this line is wearing thin.
Lets sort it out on the pitch please.”
by Flange Man, Bristol
Sunday, December 20 2009, 12:28AM
“James, Maynard is not being played in our way of thinking. He`s not 6`4".”
by James, Olde City
Saturday, December 19 2009, 6:21PM
“MERRY XMAS CITY FANS
I am a supporter of Gary Johnson but today I have to ask the question. Evander was having a mare so a sub was due. At the time we needed to penetrate Reading so why didn't you bring on Danny Haynes who would have broken the Reading defence down.
Gary today`s substitutions were in my opinion wrong.
When Nicky Maynard puts the defence under pressure from the front, his game is on form, hes not doing that at the moment and his game is way off target, rest him!!
Danny Haynes is a threat to teams in this league, so why not play him? Marvin Elliot is not on form and we have lost our hunger for attacking the visiting teams.
We need results and Bristol City fans are with you, but come on mate get it together.”