The Rovers were in the television spotlight this tea-time as they met Reading in front of the Sky Sports cameras on a cold, damp, misty evening. Brian Stock won the toss and decided to defend the South Stand end in the first half. Reading, in white shirts and green shorts, got the game underway. Both keepers got an early touch of the ball as each side showed their attacking intentions. The Rovers were the first to get a sight of goal in the 6th minute when Coppinger's 25yarder was just wide. Wilson followed this by shooting wide from the same distance. The Rovers were having a good spell in the first fifteen minutes, with Chambers getting forward to provide Shiels with a crack at goalbut he was high and wide and then minutes later, providing the ball over the backline for Sharp to run on to but the ball ran through to the keeper. In the 15th minute Reading were awarded a free kick in a central position 22 yards out.. Howard took the kick, got it over the wall and just under the bar but Sullivan was equal to the task by flying to his left to tip it away for a corner. Minutes later the Rovers had a free kick in a similar position but Oster's shot was comfortably saved by Federici. In the 23rd minute Kebe got away on the Reading right to put over a good cross for Howard, at the near post, to head wide. The Rovers then went down to the other end, with a long ball out of defence to Sharp in the inside left position. He turned inside Mills but fired wide from the edge of the penalty area. The game had settled into a fairly even game at the halfway point of the first half. Past the half hour a corner to the Rovers was cleared but they followed up with a good build-up that ended with Stock firing wide from the edge of the area. Play was swinging from end to end but in the 39th minute Howard, on the visitor's right, swung over a left footed cross that LONG met with a firm header into the net from close range. Back came the Rovers but Federici saved well and in the dying minutes Shiels stabbed wide from 18yards.

Half Time - Doncaster Rovers 0 Reading 1

The Rovers set the second half in motion and went straight on to the attack, with Sharp shooting wide from 25yards and two minutes later, from the same position, Oster also fired wide. In the 54th minute, Chambers got to the right byline and hit a hard cross to the middle where it hit a defender and went high into the air. Shiels waited for it to come down but volleyed high and wide from about 12yards. At the Rovers end Reading forced successive corners but nothing came from them. Past the hour and Martis moved forward down the left before crossing but Federici caught the ball. At the other end Reading forced a corner, which came out of defence to McAnuff, on the Reading right. His cross was headed wide by Church. In the 66th minute, Coppinger put over a good cross that went across the face of goal before being put out for a corner. Sustained pressure followed from the rovers before Roberts fired over the bar. On 71 minutes, Long, for Reading, got in a terrific left foot shot from 20 yards that Sullivan did well to tip over for a corner. a minute later, a great build-up by the Rovers played in Shiels but Griffin made a good tackle in the penalty area to deny the Rovers man. Successive corners followed but nothing came from them for the Rovers. Then, in the 77th minute, a great blow hit the Rovers when HOWARD took a pass from Long and from 15yards slotted the ball past Sullivan for a second goal to the Royals. Immediately Karacan, for Reading, went on a piercing run before firing over the bar from 20yards. The Rovers then got their equilibrium back, with Coppinger crossing to the middle from t he right in 80th minute. In the melee that followed, former Rover Mills was adjudged to have handled. A penalty to the Rovers was the verdict and a red card for Mills. SHARP took the penalty and sent the keeper the wrong way to net for the Rovers and set the game up for a grandstand finish. The Rovers stormed to the attack, with Roberts shooting wide from 30yards and the Reading defence under tremendous pressure. Hayter cut in from the left and rifled in a terrific shot that rattled the underside of the bar and bounced away. Reading then broke to Long in the Rovers area. His pass back to Gunnarsson was shot wildly over the bar. Six minutes of added time was shown as the Rovers pushed hard for at least an equaliser. Four minutes in and Sharp on the left shot for goal, the ball was deflected by a defender causing Federici to make a great save by tipping it away. In the dying seconds, Stock tried a lob from 25yards just under the bar which Federici again tipped over the bar. As soon as the corner came in the referee blew for time.

A pulsating game that was surely good entertainment for the armchair watchers.

Teams - ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James Chambers, James O'Connor, Shelton Martis, Gareth Roberts; John Oster, Brian Stock, Dean Shiels, Mark Wilson; James Coppinger, Billy Sharp.

Subs used - Sam Hird for Martis 68mins; James Hayter for Wilson 73mins; Lewis Guy for Shiels 73mins;

Subs not used - Jordon Mutch, Paul Heffernan, Mustapha Dumbuya, Ben Smith gk

Cautions - Sharp,

Reading - Adam Federici; Andy Griffin, Ivar Ingimarsson, Matt Mills, Ryan Bertrand; Brynjar Gunnarsson, Jem Karacan, Brian Howard, Jobi McAnuff; Shane Long, Jimmy Kebe

Subs used - Simon Church for Kebe 60mins; Zurab Khizanishvili for Church 81mins; Gunnar Thorvaldsson for Howard 90+ 2;

Subs not used - Gregorz Rasiak, Alex Pearce, Scott Davies, Ben Hamer

Cautions - McAnuff, Bertrand,

Sent Off - Mills