Reading 1 - Welling 0

12 years is a long time in football. The last (and apparently only) meetings between these 2 teams were an epic 4th round struggle in December 1989 decided only at the 4th attempt in what was probably Sky TV's only transmission from Park View Road. Back then Welling were a respectable Conference team and Reading a cash-strapped 3rd division team playing at a dilapidated Elm Park, a fact surely imprinted on the memory of anyone who witnessed 120 minutes of that 2nd replay in pouring rain.

Since then Welling have slipped down the pyramid a notch to the Dr Martens league, and though Reading in terms of league status have returned to where they were then the relative affluence of the 2 clubs was emphasised by the impressive, if sparsely populated, surroundings of the Majeski Stadium.

Despite the closure of the upper West and North stands, and the allocation of a mere 1/3rd of the south stand to away fans there were gaping holes in the "populated" areas, testimony to a crowd of not much more than 5000. Familiar faces in the away end suggested the Wings' away support might have benefited from Sky's decision to televise the Charlton - West Ham game and there was a marked difference in atmosphere between the Welling supporters, intent on a day out, and the home supporters doing their library impression.

For a "neutral" this was an extremely difficult game in which to fathom out who was doing what. The Welling players wore numbers 1-11 and though the scoreboard gave out the team it didn't give their numbers. The Reading side wore squad numbers, but the red numbers on the blue and white background were definitely in the chocolate teapot class and the disappointingly ineffective p.a. system - no doubt geared to the noise levels of the home areas - was no more than background noise to the singing of the Wings' supporters.

In retrospect the game itself was pretty one-sided. As early as the 4th minute Gary Abbott went over in the Reading penalty area but despite the eager appeals from the Wings supporters the referee was there to see Viveash take a large piece of the ball and in reality there was more chance of Osama bin Laden being elected pope than of Abbott getting his penalty.

Other that Welling only managed to trouble Phil Whitehead once before half-time when their first corner, earned after 18 minutes and greeted with rapturous applause, was flicked on, forcing the keeper to help the ball on towards the sideline.

In between Nicky Forster had given a hint of his display to come when he had the opportunity to side-foot home from 8 yards out but chose instead to side-foot spectacularly wide.

Just as it looked as if half-time would be reached with the stalemate intact events took a dramatic and decisive turn. In injury time Peter Overton, who a mere 6-7 earlier had been somewhat strangely booked in the process of winning a corner, kicked the ball away after a decision he didn't like an earned himself the inevitable second yellow card. "Cheat, cheat, cheat" the Wings shouted but in fairness the referee had very little choice and Overton's looked to have cost his team-mates any chance they might have had of forcing a result.

The second half started with Dave Flemming on for Gary Abbott. However he was left to battle away alone up front and what followed was 15 minutes of constant Reading possession, if not always pressure, during which time Nicky Forster continued to pepper an imaginary 16 yard x 12 foot goal from every angle. The one shot he did get on target was bang on target - straight at Glen Knight.

After 61 minutes, however, the pressure told. Jamie Cureton dived to make contact with a left-wing cross and his near-post header beat Knight low inside the post. You felt, perhaps just hoped, that on another day Knight might just have kept it out.

Being a goal down Welling had to go chasing the game. They tried, but too often the quality of their passing didn't match their effort and ambition and in reality they managed just one worthwhile effort in the entire game, a low shot from Riviere on 76 minutes after he had been put through on the right. Whitehead, however, had got his angles right and was able to block the shot.

The game rolled on toward its inevitable conclusion without major incident with Reading on the break having the possession for a further goal but in reality happy to hang on to 1-0. They didn't perform well on the day, but Welling weren't good enough make them pay and Peter Overton's stupidity made sure Alan Pardew didn't need to make a return visit to the Valley for the replay.