Reading's play-off challenge continued to falter this afternoon in spite of a spirited second half attempt to secure the victory which would have revived their hopes. The atmosphere was flat from the kick-off and Reading seemed to be prepared to allow Crewe to dictate the pace of the game with their careful, neat and patient football. It was a match between a team which believed they were safe from relegation and a team which were not convinced they could make the play-offs.

Reading took an early lead when Kitson nodded home a Salako cross with the bemused Crewe defence waiting for an offside flag. Crewe almost equalised six minutes later when a neat passing move culminated in a rasping shot which was well saved by Ashdown. Crewe were passing the ball well and their midfield players and forwards were adept at dropping off their markers and finding space to work the ball through midfield. Reading threatened to add to their lead when Murty sent in a teasing cross that was nicked away from Kitson as he prepared to attack the ball at the far post. Ashton then found space for a shot but it was hit tamely at Ashdown. The equaliser came in the thirty-ninth minute when Sidwell was caught napping by the elusive Lunt and in trying to make amends, clumsily flattened the Crewe midfielder just outside the box. Lunt proceeded to curl the resulting free kick over the wall and just inside the near post. There was nothing Ashdown could have done about it. Towards half time Reading almost fell apart. They conceded possession and passed the ball carelessly and Ashdown was forced to make another good block.

Reading and the crowd came to life for the second half. Harper and Sidwell began driving forward with greater purpose and the tempo of the game generally increased. Salako managed to get a header on target but it was comfortably gathered by Williams. On sixty minutes Kitson found the back of the net with a header from a Murty cross only for Referee Danson to disallow it for a foul on a defender. I couldn't really see what happened, but Adie Williams was adamant in his post match radio interview that the goal should have stood.

Owusu had charged around and won the ball up front but had done nothing with it all afternoon so it was no surprise when he was replaced by Morgan after sixty-six minutes. Morgan's impact was immediate. Although given offside, his first touch was a vicious dipping volley brilliantly tipped over by Williams. Every time he got the ball you felt something was going to happen. Twice he wriggled through the middle of the Crewe defence. On the first occasion the ball ran away from him, and then later he forced a save from Williams. Salako continuously rained in crosses from the right after Forster was brought on for Brooker, but Crewe coped well in the aerial bombardment. Crewe should have won the game when Lunt, who had posed problems all afternoon hit a shot which Ashdown could not hold, and somehow three Crewe forwards could not finish it off in the resulting scramble. Had they scored it would have been a grave injustice. The only flicker of hope came in stoppage time when Williams dropped a cross but Reading could not take advantage and the ball was bundled away to safety. By them many Reading fans had drifted away which I found a bit puzzling. (I can't understand how supporters can turn their back on the game, as several did today, and walk out as their team prepares to take a corner, with a chance of a place in play-offs for the Premiership still at stake. Perhaps they had been promised something really nice for their tea!)

Ashdown, in my opinion has done enough recently to make him first choice 'keeper and Morgan once again clearly demonstrated he a far better option to pair with Kitson than Owusu in every aspect of his game. Apart from having great touch and an eye for goal, he is very difficult to knock off the ball, and he provides that spark that excites the crowd and frightens opposing defences. I hope Coppell offers him at least a longer loan period. I also hope Harper and Sidwell play together next season because I believe they will continue to develop and mature under Coppell and will enable Reading to match or better most sides in midfield in this division. With Millwall pushing for a play-off place, next week's match at the Den will not be for the faint-hearted, but surely a top six finish is now only a mathematical possibility for the Royals.
John Wells