Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Round-Up: Reading boosted by Ingimarsson

Geoff Brown
Sunday 18 September 2005 00:00 BST
Comments

It was tough on Crewe, who had forced their way back into the match after Reading's opening spell which, said their manager Steve Coppell, celebrating his 100th match in charge, was "the best opening 15 minutes since I have been in charge".

Reading are unbeaten since losing on the first day of the season. "You can't describe games in this league as either easy or tough," Coppell added. "You go into a match expecting it to be hard and sometimes you are pleasantly surprised, but really they are all hard."

Wolverhampton Wanderers were held to a goalless draw at Molineux by a Leicester City side who got the point they came for by playing 4-5-1. "We have changed the emphasis a bit because we were losing too many goals," Craig Levein, Leicester's manager, admitted. "We just cancelled each other out to be honest and that was probably more my intention."

Colin Lee, the Millwall manager, saw the fruits of his strike partnership of Barry Hayles and Carl Asaba pay off as both scored in the Lions' 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday.

Millwall, who belatedly won their first match of the season on Tuesday night at Wolves, took the lead five minutes into the second half through Hayles. But the Owls levelled just after the hour, Graham Coughlan on target. Asaba's header from six yards with 16 minutes left won the match for Millwall, who are now out of the bottom three. But Wednesday are bottom.

"The win at Wolves was terrific," Lee surmised, "but this was always going to be the harder test psychologically with the position both clubs are in."

With Crystal Palace's England striker Andrew Johnson injured, Cardiff City picked the right week to host the Eagles. Michael Ricketts scored after 26 minutes when Darren Purse's long ball picked out Cameron Jerome, and although Gabor Kiraly saved his shot, Ricketts rammed in the rebound. It was Cardiff's second 1-0 win of the week, both thanks to Ricketts.

"He is a different player now from when he arrived," Dave Jones, Cardiff's manager, reasoned, "and getting the winner in our last two games can only improve his confidence."

Plymouth Argyle, who have yet to replace their sacked manager Bobby Williamson, beat fellow slow starters Burnley 1-0 at Home Park, Micky Evans scoring at the start of the second half.

Brighton and Coventry City drew 2-2 at the Withdean Stadium. It was the Sky Blues' sixth draw in nine games, and Brighton's fifth.

In League One, Lee Trundle struck twice for the leaders Swansea City, who drew 2-2 at Hartlepool United. They are joined on 19 points by Huddersfield Town, who were trailing Brentford 2-1 going into injury time with both teams down to 10 men. Late goals by Danny Schofield and Andy Booth earned the Terriers an unlikely 3-2 win. Shaun Goater scored twice to take his season's tally to five as Southend United beat Tranmere 3-1 to go third.

Managerless Bristol City drew 1-1 at home with Blackpool, a result that leaves them rooted in the bottom two, but fortune smiled on Nottingham Forest at last as Jack Lester, in his first game of 2005, scored their first in a 2-0 defeat of Rotherham United.

Grimsby Town are the new League Two leaders after they beat the bottom club Torquay 3-0 and Notts County lost 2-0 at Shrewsbury Town.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in