The Hindu : Sport / Football : Reading stuns leader Everton

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Sunday, Aug 19, 2007
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Reading stuns leader Everton

Kanu stars for Portsmouth against Bolton

LONDON: Stephen Hunt scored the only goal of the game at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday as Reading beat early league leader Everton for the first time.

The Republic of Ireland midfielder ensured the Toffees’ stay at the top of the English Premier League table lasted just four days with a goal just before half-time. Ulises de la Cruz’s long throw from the right bounced clean over Kevin Doyle to Hunt, who took a touch before firing past Everton’s USA goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Reading’s boss Steve Coppell made two changes from the side that lost 2-1 to Chelsea here on Wednesday, South Korea forward Seol Ki-Hyeon and Iceland defender Brynjar Gunnarsson coming into the side.

Maiden win

Reading had never beaten the Toffees in their five previous clashes.

Andy Johnson, fluffed a late chance to equalise.

He hit the inside of the post with five minutes to go after Scotland striker James McFadden chipped the ball against the crossbar as the Toffees desperately scrambled to rescue a point.

In other actions, Nwankwo Kanu scored one goal and created the other two to guide Portsmouth to a 3-1 victory over Bolton, while Egyptian striker Mido marked his Middlesbrough debut with the goal that sparked his side’s 2-1 win over Fulham.

After Nicolas Anelka had put Bolton 1-0 ahead in the 12th minute, Kanu equalised in the 16th and provided the pass for John Utaka’s strike in the 30th. Matt Taylor’s penalty after a foul on Kanu made it 3-1 with two minutes to go.

The result means that Harry Redknapp’s unbeaten Portsmouth has five points from a victory and two ties while Bolton has lost its first three matches.

Noble on target

Mark Noble kept his cool to get West Ham’s season up and running with a 1-0 win over Birmingham on Saturday.

Noble converted a late penalty at St. Andrews to hand Alan Curbishley’s side their first win after Colin Doyle fouled Craig Bellamy.

After a disappointing opening day defeat to Manchester City it was essential for West Ham to emerge with a positive result here and it rose to the challenge.

The results: Birmingham 0 lost to West Ham 1 (Noble 70-pen); Fulham 1 (McBride 16) lost to Middlesbrough 2 (Mido 55, Cattermole 88); Portsmouth 3 (Kanu 16, Utaka 30, Taylor 88-pen) bt Bolton 1 (Anelka 12); Reading 1 (Hunt 44) bt Everto n 0; Tottenham 4 (Malbranque 2, 6, Jenas 14, Bent 80) bt Derby 0; Wigan 3 (Heskey 1, Landzaat 62-pen, Sibierski 69-pen) bt Sunderland 0. — Agencies