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In the only Monday match of the 36th round of the English "Premier League," "Reading" hosted "Newcastle" at home, where striker Michael Owen played again after a long break. "Reading" secured a 1-0 victory with a minimal result.
"Reading" 1 - 0 "Newcastle"
51‘ [1 - 0] Dave Kitson
The first serious danger came near the hosts' goal in the 6th minute when M. Owen, returning to football after a 10-month break, sent the ball into the net after a pass from Obafemi Martins, but the referee signaled offside. Shortly after, the most productive "Reading" player Kevin Doyle could have scored after a mistake by the visitors' goalkeeper Steve Harper, but Emre cleared the ball off the goal line.
The hosts gradually took control of the game. After a corner kick, defender Michael Duberry's shot was a bit inaccurate. The visitors from Newcastle also failed to capitalize on good chances. Both James Milner and O. Martins missed opportunities.
In the second half, after playing six minutes, the ball finally fell into the "Newcastle" goal. After a pass from Seol Ki-Hyeon from the right flank, Dave Kitson directed the ball into the net. After the conceded goal, the visitors rushed to equalize: Shola Ameobi, who had recovered from a serious injury and returned to the lineup, missed a good chance with a header that failed to beat Marcus Hahnemann.
The home team also responded with a dangerous attack. After a pass from K. Doyle, the scorer of the goal, D. Kitson, threatened S. Harper's goal. O. Martins, the "Newcastle" striker, being completely free, failed to direct the ball into the net with his head. J. Milner also missed the last chance to equalize.
After this victory, led by Steve Coppell, "Reading" returned to the 7th place in the tournament table, while "Newcastle" remains in 12th place.
