Micky is Delighted about performance
Reading's joint-player manager Mick Gooding praised his players after they secured a 2-1 win at
home to Nationwide Division One promotion-chasing Norwich.
Trevor Morley opened the scoring with a spectacular overhead kick but Neil Adams equalised for
the Canaries before the same player scored an own goal to give Reading the points.
Gooding said: "Even though we won by an own goal I thought the team played very well against a
very difficult side and we fully deserved the win." (5th March 1997)
Walker's unhappy return
By Trevor Haylett
MIKE Walker's first managerial return to Elm Park - where he began his goalkeeping career - ended in disappointment when Norwich succumbed to a goal three minutes from time.
The wound that takes the pace out of their promotion challenge was self-inflicted, Neil Adams driving a Martin Williams cross into his own net.
Norwich were nearly undone in the third minute when Darren Caskey found Jimmy Quinn with a
magnificent cross-field ball. The Reading player-manager skilfully side-stepped his man but narrowly misdirected his shot.
It was an early warning for Norwich, who continued to look less than comfortable under pressure.
When they fell behind in the 21st minute it was something of their own making, though it took a
supreme finish from Trevor Morley to punish them.
When Daryl Sutch forfeited possession it enabled Mick Gooding to drive over a cross and Morley,
36 later this month, scored his 21st goal of the season with an athletic bicycle kick.
The scores were level seven minutes later when Paul Bodin's back-pass alerted Darren Eadie. He
reached the ball ahead of Steve Mautone, the keeper's challenge sending the winger flying through the
air. Adams' penalty accuracy was as certain as ever as he scored his ninth goal from the spot this season.
Reading could not live with a full-throttle Eadie and having been sent clear by Robert Fleck's first-time pass, he would have handed Norwich the interval lead had he not drilled a shot against a post with
only Mautone to beat.
The goalkeeper foiled his adversary three times in the second half while also pulling off a crucial save when Eadie's free-kick dropped for Matt Jackson.
Reading won the game when Williams strode away from Jackson and sent in a cross which Adams
ran into the empty goal after the ball eluded Marshall.
