FA CUP ROUND ONE
READING 1 WELLING UNITED 0
(Half Time: 0-0)
Reading Scorers: Cureton (61 mins)
Welling Scorers:
Date: 17 November 2001
Attendance: 5,338

Reading: Whitehead, Murty, Whitbread, Viveash, Shorey, Hughes, Neil Smith (Igoe 65), Gamble, Alex Smith (Henderson 45), Cureton, Forster (Mackie 87). Subs not used: Ashdown, Harper.

Welling United: Knight, Hone, Edwards, Watts, Riviere, Lindsey, Rutherford, Overton, Barnes, Abbott (Flemming 45), Powell (Standen 55). Subs not used: Lewington, Saunders, Brown.
 
Referee:
G Hegley (Bishop's Stortford).

There was not much to get excited about in this routine F.A.Cup first round victory. The result was never in doubt although the performance from Reading's point of view was far from satisfactory. The referee gave the Royals an advantage they didn't really need when he sent off Welling's Overton for a second, relatively minor, bookable offence right on the stroke of half time.

The first half had started slowly with Reading predictably dominating possession. The best chance of the half came when Cureton and Hughes exchanged passes producing a low cross to the far post which Forster side footed just wide. He probably should have scored. Forster in fact posed the greatest threat with his pace throughout the game, but his lack of composure and vision let him down. He blazed several shots high and wide and failed to pick out simple passing options when he got behind the defence. The passing in midfield deteriorated as the half progressed. Hughes was typically erratic with his passing. Neil Smith worked hard but Gamble looked the sharpest of the midfield four. Pardew decided that he should play with another forward after the sending off and Alex Smith, who had a poor first half, was the obvious choice to be replaced by Henderson.

The second half saw Cureton playing deep behind Henderson and Forster, and as well as scoring the goal, he saw a lot more of the ball. The goal was a well taken header from cross whipped in very sharply by Shorey. This should have sparked off a rout but in fact Reading made hard work of a relatively easy job. They failed to exploit the acres of space that appeared on the flanks and not for the first time this season, poor passing and finishing let weak opposition of the hook. Murty had a good effort saved and Neil Smith curled a long range effort just wide.

Welling did create one clear cut chance in the 76th minute but Whitehead blocked the shot. Welling battled hard as you would expect and deserved their applause from both sets of fans at the end especially 'keeper Knight who had a very solid game. As for Reading, they are in the draw for the next round and £20,000 better off, but there is more important business to be dealt with on Tuesday against Tranmere.
Report by John Wells.

Post Match Opinions

Back to dull, unexciting football I'm afraid. Our expectation at the start was very quickly killed off, and the fact that every corner won by Reading was met with the cry 'keeper's ball' in our part of the ground, summed up the mood of the crowd. We all knew that the corner would be wasted, and Welling would clear their lines. Quite why every one was played so close to the Welling keeper is beyond me. We certainly made him look good. Through to round 2, I suppose, but the entertainment shown last week against Bristol City was sadly missing in this one. The Welling fans certainly enjoyed it more than we did.
-- Kevin, Worthing Royal.

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