Reading 2, Bury 0

BURY'S first visit to the magnificent new Madejski Stadium ended in tears on Wednesday evening when they sank to a defeat they didn't really deserve.

It was a real kick in the teeth for Neil Warnock's men after the euphoria of last weekend's fine win at Blackpool, but the turning point was a first half penalty miss by Darren Bullock after Ian Lawson was upended by Reading 'keeper Phil Whitehead.

Whitehead escaped with only a yellow card, which angered Warnock, but his misery was intensified further when up stepped Bullock to crack his spot kick against the top of the bar and into the empty stand behind the goal

The struggling Royals, confidence rock bottom after three games without a victory, couldn't believe their luck and their self belief grew accordingly.

Reading's assistant manager, John Gorman, the former England number two, also pinpointed the incident as the one which swung the game Reading's way.

"The miss gave our lads fresh heart. At last they thought the luck was going their way," he said.

Ten minutes later the Royals took the lead with a superb goal. Wing back Andy Gurney was set clear down the right wing and put in a pinpoint cross to the heart of the penalty box.

Burly striker Keith Scott, the former Wycombe player, rose high in the six yard box to head an unstoppable effort past Paddy Kenny.

The penalty miss was not the only regret Bury had during the half-time talk.

They were left to reflect on Andy Preece's double stroke of misfortune in only the twelfth minute.

First Whitehead made a brave point blank save from Preece who tumbled to the floor in the process. The ball rebounded to Preece who managed to stick out his right leg and send the ball goalwards again, only to see it hit the upright. To make matters worse unlucky defender Andy Woodward limped off after 28 minutes with a hamstring strain to be replaced by Paul Williams.

As the Shakers dominated matters in the second period it seemed only a matter of time before they grabbed the leveller their play deserved.

In a bid to spice up the attack Adrian Littlejohn replaced Dean Barrick and Paul Barnes came on for Ian Lawson but that meant Warnock had used all three substitutes by the time Reading's Martin Williams found himself in the clear a minute into injury time to fire home the goal that settled the result beyond any doubt.

So when faced with injuries to Bullock and Redmond the manager simply took them off without being able to send on a replacements.

It made no difference because the game was won by then and Reading had moved out of the bottom four.

The result left the Shakers' boss in an angry mood and he slammed referee Mike Reed after the game.

"We got one penalty but we should have been given at least one more,"he stormed. "The trouble is you just don't get them when you are away from home.

"I was not at all happy with the referee. His missed a blow to the face on Steve Redmond right at the end which is why I had to bring the player off and if I were John Gregory I would probably be fined for what I am saying."

The result of the match hinged on a 31st minute penalty miss by Bury's Darren Bullock.

Reading, with their confidence rock bottom after five games without a win, conceded the spot kick when goalkeeper Phil Whitehead tripped Ian Lawson.

It was the second successive game that Whitehead had given a penalty away. Bullock's kick clipped the top of the crossbar and sailed on into the stands.

Whitehead was shown the yellow card, another decision which angered Warnock. "He should have been sent off for that," he claimed.

"It will be a long journey home and we will be nursing several injuries," said a rueful Warnock as Reading's lowest crowd of the season, just 5,393, drifted away from the stadium.

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