Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.This game was originally played on New Year's Day but abandoned at half-time because of a waterlogged pitch with the score goalless. Reading must have been tempted to ask the referee, who was in charge of both games, if he would consider calling it off again – this time though it would purely have been on compassionate grounds as the Foxes had the game won with a 3-0 lead at the interval.
The visitors, who lost 4-1 in the Cup at Wolves on Saturday, are now within two points of the First Division leaders Portsmouth and look credible contenders to win the league outright. By contrast the Royals slumped to their worst home defeat of the season and with one win in their last eight league games they remain outside the play-off zone.
Not for nothing have Leicester City clung on to the coat tails of Pompey this season and it was that same doggedness coupled with a spineless first-half performance by the hosts that led to this straightforward result.
Leicester's manager Micky Adams was delighted afterwards. He said: "It was just the response we wanted after Saturday. We applied ourselves in the right manner." Despite virtually conceding defeat after just over half an hour, the home side dominated the early exchanges as Andy Hughes and then Nicky Forster went close in the first quarter of an hour.
But two minutes later things went spectacularly sour for Reading when they failed to clear their penalty area and Paul Dickov executed an overhead kick that bounced between Marcus Hahnemann and Steve Brown on the goal line. Eight minutes later the Foxes doubled their lead when the referee belatedly gave a penalty for a foul by Adie Williams on Trevor Benjamin and Dickov doubled his tally for the night. After another eight minutes the game was only Leicester's to lose. Muzzy Izzet took a free-kick that Matt Elliott headed across goal and Matt Heath was unmarked to head home from all of three yards.
Reading responded with a goal after 54 minutes when Hughes curled the ball inside Ian Walker's left-hand post. Heartened by that, Pardew brought on the club's most prolific forwards, hoping his substitute strikers Martin Butler and Jamie Cureton could further test Leicester's nerve but they held out with ease to increase the pressure on Portsmouth.
Reading: (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Murty, Shorey, Williams, Brown (Newman, h-t); Rougier, Hughes, Sidwell, Igoe (Cureton, 56); Forster, Harper (Butler, 56). Substitutes not used: Ashdown (gk), Tyson.
Leicester City: (4-4-2): Walker; Rogers, Elliott, Heath, Sinclair; Stewart, Scowcroft, Izzet, Davidson; Dickov, Benjamin (Wright, 83). Substitutes not used: Flowers, Summerbee, Jones, Ashton.
Referee: M Warren (West Midlands).
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments