Two goals in two second half minutes secured Reading’s first league double of the season as they beat a below-par Fulham outfit at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
A dour contest was brought to life when the home side missed a contentious penalty midway through the second half and the goals came in the final twenty minutes as the Royals registered a rare away win. The visitors began the brighter with Linden Jones shooting wide from the edge of the area and Stuart Beavon sending a 30-yarder just past the far post.
Fulham gradually came into the contest and were furious not to be given a penalty when Michael Gilkes appeared to have brought down Clive Walker in the box. Teenager Adrian Williams went close at the other end with a volley from Darren Wood’s free-kick and the youngster was then denied by a sharp Jim Stannard save just before the half-time interval.
Steve Milton might have had a hat-trick early in the second half but after twice failing to hit the target from presentable positions inside the Reading area he then contrived to lift a finish over the bar when it seemed simpler to turn Mark Newson’s cross into the net. Gilkes then blasted the penalty high over the bar – after Gilkes had been adjudged to have fouled Gary Barnett – meaning that the Whites have missed their last three spot-kicks against Reading.
The let off galvanised the Royals – who went ahead five minutes later. Jones won a battle for possession on the edge of the box and the ball broke for Beavon, whose first-time effort flew into the far corner. Two minutes later, Williams launched the ball downfield, Stannard and Jeff Eckhardt got in a tangle, and David Leworthy seized upon the loose ball, setting up his strike partner Mike Conroy. The Scot curled a sumptuous finish into the empty net to make it 2-0.
The away side opted to sit on their advantage, which prompted the first sustained period of Fulham pressure in the match. Ronnie Mauge headed over the bar with seven minutes left, while Steve Francis saved well from Gary Barnett. Gordon Davies did bring the Whites back into it with two minutes to play, shooting firmly home from 15 yards, but Reading held on through an interminable period of injury time despite Milton and Barnett coming close to conjuring up a late leveller.
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Pike, Marshall, Newson, Scott, Mauge, Barnett, Walker (Skinner 81), Davies, Milton. Subs (not used): Langley.
BOOKED: Eckhardt.
GOAL: Davies (88).
READING: Francis; Hicks, Williams, Wood, Jones, Beavon, Gooding, Taylor, Gilkes, Leworthy, Conroy. Subs (not used): Bashir, Moran.
GOALS: Beavon (73), Conroy (75).
REFEREE: Martin Bodenham (Cornwall).
ATTENDANCE: 4,835.
