Reading 1 (Hunt 15)
Fulham 0
The Royals took all three points today after a rather scrappy affair against Fulham.
Stephen Hunt rounded off a nice move on 15 minutes for the only goal of the game, and our first half performance, inspired by Hunt and Seol Ki-Hyeon, proved to be enough to ensure victory.
The game seemed to be there for the taking for the Royals, but Fulham were allowed time and space to get themselves into the game. Ian Pearce should in fact have scored for the visitors just before Hunt's goal, but he whacked over.
Papa Bouba Diop was denied a legitimate equaliser just before half time, with video replays showing that the Senegalese was level when the cross was played.
The second half was very ragged, and Fulham enjoyed lots of possession.
John Oster missed a sitter with 15 minutes to go, and Michael Brown hit the top of the bar for the visitors on the stroke of full time.
In the end, Reading were very grateful for the final whistle as they picked up their first win in eight attempts.
It had not been our most fluid performance, but we did enough to get our season back on track against a Fulham side low on confidence.
Reading (4-4-2): Hahnemann, De La Cruz, Shorey, Bikey, Ingimarsson (c); Gunnarsson, Harper, Seol (Oster 70), Hunt; Doyle, Kitson (Long 70)
Subs: Federici, Halford, Duberry
Booked: Hunt, Shorey
Fulham (4-4-2): Niemi; Rosenior, Queudrue, Bocanegra, Pearce (Knight 25); Brown (c), Diop, Routledge, Davies (Dempsey 68); Helguson (Montella 70), McBride
Subs: Lastuvka, Radzinski
Booked: Helguson
Referee: Lee Mason
Attendance: 24,082
Full report
Steve Coppell made three changes to his starting line-up, with Brynjar Gunnarsson in the centre of midfield in place of the rested Steve Sidwell, who was not named on the bench.
Dave Kitson and Kevin Doyle were the chosen strike partnership in place of Shane Long and the suspended Leroy Lita.
It was Doyle who had the first chance as Stephen Hunt's neat corner found him at the back post, but it just wouldn't come out from under his feet and he poked wide.
A corner then almost paid dividends for Fulham down the other end as it fortunately fell to Brian McBride, but his compatriot Marcus Hahnemann smothered.
Seol Ki-Hyeon was enjoying himself on the right wing, and with 12 minutes gone he played a world class pass into Gunnarsson's path, putting him clear on goal. The Icelander chose to shoot rather than square it though, and Antti Niemi saved.
Ian Pearce then missed a glorious chance for the visitors, leaning back when only six yards out, skying over from McBride's flick.
A minute later Fulham were made to pay for that sitter. Seol, who had started very well, received the ball after Dave Kitson nicked possession in the box. The Korean found Kevin Doyle, who turned in a low cross for Hunt to finish nicely with his right foot.
There was a hint of offside about our goal, with Kitson coming back from an offside position before he robbed the ball.
Reading quickly looked for a second, and another low cross from the right almost found Kitson.
Fulham were not about to lie down though, and a couple of crosses went all the way to Reading's back post undefended.
Seol was giving the visitors a torrid time, and more good work from him saw him find Gunnarsson again, but Niemi pulled off a very smart reaction stop.
Reading were enjoying the better of the possession, but Fulham were worryingly creating chances and Papa Bouba Diop headed over.
The game seemed to be there for the taking, but Fulham were being allowed back into it, and Franck Queudrue shot no only a foot over from 35 yards.
Seconds before the break Reading were given a very lucky break. A long Fulham free kick was worked out to the left, then crossed in for Diop, who headed home. Thankfully, the linesman's flag was up, but video replays showed the big Senegalese was in fact in line when the ball was played.
Second half
The game was rather bitty after the break, with Reading giving Fulham a bit too much time and space in possession.
With a little more than an hour gone, Simon Davies got a run at goal, and it was a good chance but he shot at Hahnemann's feet.
Reading had offered little in the second half, and Coppell made a double change with 20 minutes to go.
The two replacements John Oster and Shane Long then broke in tandem, and Long was inches away from giving Hunt a tap in.
Oster then had a golden chance after Doyle's persistence, but the midfielder skewed miles wide from seven yards.
Fulham had a let off on 75 when Doyle was sycthed down by Carlos Bocanegra as he went clean through. Play was pulled back though for a supposed foul by Long, which looked innocuous to say the very least.
With three minutes to go Doyle saw a goal disallowed from Oster's free kick, and the linesman got the decision completely correct.
On the stroke of full time, Michael Brown was desperately close to equalising, but his curler clipped the bar with Hahnemann stranded.
It had not been a great performance by Reading, but they did enough in the end, and a first performance proved the key. Hunt and Seol were very incisive before the break, and it was a very welcome win.
