Stoke 0 Reading 0 6/2/21 3pm
Another draw for Stoke, albeit against a Top-4 side. No red cards or injuries…? Scraping round for positives. Fletcher’s brilliant overhead kick goal ruled out for bring too flamboyant, so here’s how the game unfolded in real time:
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No naughty Norrington-Davies today (suspended for red card), but back comes Morgan Fox, the left-back who’d been flying so well under the radar before injury. Angus Gunn hangs on to his place in goal…
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7.16 Gunn tested from a free kick that he manages to punch without taking out any of his team mates. A few seconds later he’s punching again. He’s come out fighting! With a name like Gunn, we shouldn’t be too surprised.
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23.27 McClean tumbles in the box on the end of a great move, but fails to persuade the ref it’s a penalty, instead gets a card for diving. Replay shows minimal contact, but you can’t help but feel sorry for James!
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26.58 Clucas hits a volley like Tom Ince, and ball careers off towards Luton, where Tom is settling in on the bench.
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28.32 Fletcher scores brilliant overhead kick goal…but he’s ruled offside! Clarke’s original cross. Reading rattled!
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36.01 Clarke causing problems down the right, even for Clucas trying to find him with lovingly long balls. Clarke doesn’t look any more a header of the ball than Barahino, but then (in this climate) why should he?
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37.55 Keeper Cabral backs into Fletcher, and then complains! Fletch explains tactfully (or as tactfully as Fletch gets) to the keeper who was to blame here.
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42.55 Brilliant Mikel does wonders down the right, but instead of shooting, he gives it to McClean who scuffs his shot when he should have hammered it, high wide or otherwise.
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HT 0-0
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47.55 Mikel’s pinpoint pass to Fletcher makes us believe for a second that we’re watching a premier league game.
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53.50 As it rains cats & dogs, we get to see the subs warming up on exercise bikes. Blimey, now it’s snowing geese and leopards!
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63.55 Batth yellowed in the centre circle for a harmless looking foul. Mikel gets caught up in the challenge and comes off worse.
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72.25 Foul throw! Reading infuriated! Yes, this is the level of excitement at the bet365. Reading starting to make their mark in this game. Fox involved with everything, including a knock on the head.
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82.02 Brown on for Clarke. Reading now looking dangerous, with 3 Stoke defenders having to deal with every Reading forward.
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84.48 Brown yellowed for a high challenge on Morrison, and the replay is not kind to Jacob.
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86.10 Cousins on for Allen, which sounds a bit defensive for Michael O’Neill.
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88.15 Vokes on for Fletcher, which also sounds defensive!
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90+1 Cousins header from McClean cross brings out a save from Cabral! Last chance.
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