Reading 0 West Ham 3

Dean Ashton made his first start for West Ham since the 2006 FA Cup Final. However it was his strike partner Craig Bellamy who got the first goal for West Ham. Bellamy scored in the 6th minute when he shot from 18 yards into the bottom left of the Reading net.

The early goal seemed to set the pattern of the first half, as West Ham sat back and let Reading dominate the possession happy to hit them on the break. Reading's best chance fell to Hunt on the edge of West Ham's area in the 44th minute but his shot hit the crossbar. With Reading pushing numbers forward West Ham always looked dangerous on the counter-attack.

The second half started the same way as the first with an early West Ham goal. In the 48th minute West Ham broke down their left wing which ended with Bellamy feeding Etherington who shot left-footed into the top-left of the goal from 12 yards.

Ten minutes later Lee Bowyer had the chance to make it 3-0 when he found himself one on one with the keeper but his left-footed shot from the centre of the penalty area 12 yards out missed left by a couple of yards. In the 66th minute Etherington was the one who found himself clear. His left-footed from 18 yards was well saved by Hahnemann.

With fifteen minutes to go in the match Green took down Kitson in the box to give Reading a penalty. Doyle took the penalty but Green saved the ball diving low to his left. Then in the closing minute of injury time Etherington broke clear again and got West Ham's third.

Today Anton Ferdinand was excellent in defence, Green was brilliant in goal, Etherington and Bellamy were both superb going forward and Sp*~rs threw away a two gaol lead. Come on you Irons.