View From The Dolan: Cold Night, Raging Hot Home Form

11/14/2024 03:41 AM

Ben recalls Tuesday's action as Reading continue their SCL purple patch by seeing off Newport County on a chilly Berkshire evening.

Weather's turned, hasn't it? Bit colder now. Unlike the home form of course, which is raging hot. I'm sure the fans who turned out for this one went there in full anticipation of another home win to add to the collection this season.

I made the decision to go via the M4 for this game, as getting through Reading an hour earlier (for 7pm as opposed to 8pm) is a right faff these days. This meant I had to go through Tilehurst a different way - one which, on this occasion, gave me a significant fright.

Unbeknownst to me, a dog was hiding behind a tree alongside the road. Said dog was also toileting, but what I saw was a huge pile of leaves (it was literally huge) leap up off the ground a make its way towards my car as I drove past.

As a result, I swerved to avoid "leaf damage" to my car and almost smashed into an oncoming Volvo SUV on the other side of the road. Did the dog care? No, he did not. But my heart did. It's lucky I have the reflexes of an Amur leopard to be honest.

Due to the weather, I had planned to get a little Costa for the game (or at least start of the game). I didn't want to pay service-station prices (despite the fact that Reading (eastbound) is a good little stop. I'd decided to go for the Reading Gate one but, as I got there, it was clear closing time had arrived and so I made the decision there and then to email customer services at once (I must remember to do that). I really could have done with a cheeky cappuccino and a mince tart, but such is life. No one is going to pick you up except you.

When I did finally make it to the stadium, it was clear, once again, that attendance was going to be low. What was also low was the temperature. It was so cold that I had to usher out a penguin from my block before the game could start. The fact that plenty of people had come dressed as blue seats didn't really help the warmth factor and, as I positioned myself into my row, it was clear that wasn't going to change.

Listening to The Last Post in a largely empty stadium is a surreal experience. On one hand, you kind of wanted more there to hear it. On the other, it was magically haunting listening to the sounds of the bugle bounce around three sides of the stadium. A slightly odd moment followed when people began clapping, but quickly realised the end of the piece was the start of the minute's silence.

Respects paid, it was time for some wall-to-wall cup action. Sim arrived for the start of our third home game in a row together (like some sort of weird anniversary) and we got on with the task in hand: debating who was going to do what for TTE in terms of written match coverage. You'll realise by the tardiness of the release of this column that I had the last laugh by winning! Ha ha!

Shots on the pitch were coming thick and fast and, quite honestly, how one of them didn't end up in the goal mouth I'll never, ever, ever, ever know. Lewis Wing, Ben Elliott, Jayden Wareham: they all had a pop like a drunk chap in a kebab house at the end of a long night.

They all missed, leading to over-complications in the final third with certain players choosing to pass rather than shoot, shoot rather than pass, faff rather than being direct. You get the gist. I haven't fact-checked this, but pretty sure we had 37 attempts on goal in the first 45.

Before the half was up, I travelled south to the concourse to grab a drop of finest DE, a Twix and Coke Zero (dreadful stuff - also, surely it's HIS round next?). I'm no fan of instant coffee AT ALL, but this little number did OK. Warming, reasonably inoffensive taste-wise and quite cheap. Good work, Mr Egberts.

We were literally crying out for a goal like a builder who'd just devoured a 10-piece hot wings meal from KFC asking for an 11th wing. A breakthrough was not forthcoming, so the heavies were sent for. On came Harvey Knibbs, Chem Campbell and Michael Craig and the tide suddenly changed colour.

First, a delicious goal from Harvey, then a strike from Jayden before the mega-rout was complete with another from our number seven. A blitz to put to bed a turgid period in front of goal meant we were in the hat (bowl) for the next round of whatever cup this is.

Andre Garcia continues to impress me, I have to say. He's got an excellent temperament, he wants to get on the ball and nudge forward and I like that. I also thought Shay Spencer did himself no harm with another decent performance and Ashqar Ahmed is looking like a wonderful option in his role.

Really though, you look to Knibbs who, in his short cameo, grabbed the game by its beard and dragged us through to where we want to be. It's another game for these younger players to do battle with and to continue experiencing competitive football.

With the FA Cup coming up too, we have ourselves a bit of competition in certain areas on the pitch and there will be players very much hoping to be in the mix when these games roll round.

The youth players are developing and, while not perfect, there is a lot of potential for them to express themselves in these games and long may it continue. Magic of the cup it wasn't, but they did what they needed to do.

Until next time.