Reading 1 (Shorey 90)
Aston Villa 2 (Young 44, Harewood 82)

Aston Villa had too much for the Royals today as we were were consigned to a 2-1 defeat.

The Royals had decent amounts of possession, but Villa's forward line were simply too quick and strong for our back line to handle.

Goals at the end of both halves earned Villa all three points, and they also missed a penalty when the scores were 0-0.

Nicky Shorey curled home a 94th minute free kick, and it was mere consolation.

Gareth Barry was the culprit for that missed spot kick, blasting miles off target. Justice had been done though because it was hard to see how ref Martin Atkinson could have adjudged Kalifa Cisse's handball as deliberate.

Moments before the break, Ashley Young scored after Cisse failed to get in on Gabriel Agbonlahor, who broke at pace.

We had a go in the second half, and the closest we came was when Dave Kitson got a faint touch on Shorey's free kick, but it wasn't enough to beat Carson.

Then Kitson wasted a good chance, shooting wildly from 35 yards with Kevin Doyle racing into a good position.

On 82, Marlon Harewood caught us on the break, although there was possibly a case for offside.

Stephen Hunt then had one cleared off the line as we tried in vain to get something from the game, and Shorey curled in a nice free kick in injury time.

Villa had just been too strong for the Royals, with their pace and power too hot for us to handle.

We couldn't capitalise whenever we got into the final third, while Villa were incisive and getting through at will.

We now face Middlesbrough at the Riverside next week, and are desperate to get our first away win of this season and climb out of the bottom three.

Reading: Hahnemann; Murty (c), Shorey, Cisse (Ingimarsson 71), Sonko; Harper, Matejovsky, Oster (Kebe 58), Hunt; Doyle (Long 71), Kitson
Subs: Federici, Bikey
Booked: Sonko (foul 42), Matejovsky (foul 52)

Villa: Carson; Gardner, Bouma, Davies, Laursen; Barry, Reo-Coker (Osbourne 87), Maloney (Harewood 73), Young; Agbonlahor, Carew
Subs: Taylor, Knight, Salifou
Booked: Gardner (foul 51)

Ref: M Atkinson

Attendance: 23,889

First half
Before the game there was a concerted effort to whip up the atmosphere, with John Madejski out on the pitch rousing the crowd. Ex-skipper Adie Williams got a great reception while out there with the Chairman, and the two received a special cake from STAR to celebrate the Club's 136th birthday that passed earlier this week.

With only 30 seconds gone, James Harper looked to capitalise on that early fervour, and unleashed a shot that Scott Carson just about held.

The game soon got into its pattern though, with Reading enjoying enough of the ball, but Villa finding it all too easy to create chances.

First John Carew shot wide from a good position, then Ashley Young had a go after scything through unchallenged.

Kalifa Cisse and Graeme Murty were called into action on 18, both of them putting in magnificent blocks during a goalmouth scramble.

Reading continued to have decent possession, but every time Villa went forward they were able to get a shot off.

On 30 minutes, Villa were awarded a penalty, but justice was done as Gareth Barry fired miles off target.

The spot kick was awarded for handball against Kalifa Cisse, but it was unfathomable to believe it was deliberate by the Frenchman as the ball was smashed toward him from very close distance indeed.

In any event, it wasn't even certain that it actually even hit his arm - it looked close to the shoulder.

Referee Martin Atkinson further incurred the wrath of the home fans when Stephen Hunt went through on the edge of the box, and despite what looked a clear foul by Nigel Reo-Coker, nothing was given.

Villa soon got another effort at goal, and Marcus Hahnemann saved very well from Carew, who was given offside anyway as he headed powerfully.

30 seconds before the break, Villa got a goal that sadly had looked on the cards for a while.

Cisse tried desperately to get in front of Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor, but couldn't nick a touch on the pass and it set the striker away down the right.

He looked up, found Young in space, and the winger lashed home a very good finish into the roof of the net.

Reading had done reasonably well going forward in the first half, but Villa's frontline of Carew, Agbonlahor, Young et al were just finding it too easy to create chances. Eventually that ability to cut through us paid dividends.

Second half
Hunt had half a chance with five minutes of the second half played, but got his volley all wrong from John Oster's corner.

Steve Coppell threw Jimmy Kebe on before the hour, and he might have had a shot with his first touch but his touch let him down just inside the box.

Just after the hour we tried to whip up a head of steam.

Kebe broke well, and after cutting back inside he eventually found Marek Matejovsky. The Czech battled well to allow Nicky Shorey to shoot, and Carson couldn't hold it at the first attempt. Hunt was the only Reading player battling for it, and Villa hacked clear.

Hunt soon tried to cause problems again in the box, and was probably lucky not to be booked as he went to ground too easily as Carson and Craig Gardner closed in.

Agbonlahor then had a very good chance to make it 2-0 following Carew's run and pass, but shot over.

Dave Kitson had found chances at a premium, but then two fell his way in a minute and he couldn't take either.

First Shorey whipped in a great free kick, and Kitson got the slightest of touches, but it wasn't enough and it was straight at Carson, who made a reaction save.

Then on 70 minutes Kitson was gifted possession by a poor Villa pass in a dangerous area, but with Doyle racing into a good position he tried a very ambitious 35-yarder that was well off target, a good chance gone.

Coppell then played all of his cards, bringing on both Shane Long and Ivar Ingimarsson The game was tight and nervous.

Villa had two good chances to put the game out of sight, but sub Marlon Harewood shot weakly at Hahnemann, then Carew was denied by a good save after an incisive run.

With time ebbing away, we were again thankful to Hahnemann for a very good near post save from Young, as well as smart reactions to quickly put it out for a corner.

With eight minutes left, Villa put the game out of sight.

We were pressing in their half, but conceded possession. With men committed forward, the visitors had a three-on-two break. Young ran at pace to find Harewood, who was very close to being offside, but finished well.

It could have been 3-0 moments later, but Murty put in a great block to deny Carew at the back post.

Then Reading almost had a goal, but Carson saved very well from Kitson, and Hunt's follow-up was blocked on the line by the retreating Gardner.

Carew had a virtuouso run in injury time, but shot above the bar with men screaming for a pass.

Then Reading had a goal with 94 minutes on the clock, Shorey curling home a 25-yard free kick exquisitely.

It was practically the last kick of the game, and made no difference to a very disappointing outcome.

We'd had decent amounts of ball, but couldn't create enough in the final third to get anything.

Conversely, Villa were cutting through us at will, and a powerful attacking performance from them kept them very much in the hunt for Europe.

We now travel to the Riverside to take on Middlesbrough next Saturday, and it is another massive game in our bid to secure safety in the Barclays Premier League.