Pardew Delighted With Fantastic Away Win

Last updated : 21 September 2002 By Rob Cooper

Andy Hughes
Hughes scored the only goal of the game
The 1-0 victory, sealed with a fifty-eighth minute strike from Andy Hughes, was Reading's first for four games and only their second away victory of the campaign.

In recent weeks the Royals have slumped to defeats against the likes of Norwich, Wimbledon and Cambridge, undoing a fairly good comparitive start to the season.

Following the final whistle Alan Pardew told readingfc.co.uk: "We've come in for some criticism lately, but we don't lack belief and it was great to get a result here today.

"The first twenty minutes was probably the key. We went on the front foot and I felt we won that early battle and that was the foundation for success.

"We came here to beat a top team because we've struggled against them so far. Wolves are a top team.

"We know all about what they're going through at the moment. The tension in the players and around the stadium - we've had that at Reading trying to get out of the Second Division.

"It's really hard, and I feel for Dave Jones. They need a bit of luck to get back on the winning track."

Alan Pardew
Alan Pardew
Andy Hughes won the game with a thirty-yard thunderbolt, it was his third goal of the campaign. Hughsey scored both the goals in the only other away victory of the season, 2-0 at Walsall.

"Andy was always a threat breaking from midfield. I said to him at half time 'I think your going to score today'. However, I didn't think it would be one like that! It was a fantastic strike and worthy of winning any game."

Speaking on thew 3-5-2 system that he used again, despite the fact that it had little effect against the Canaries in midweek, Pardew added: "The system didn't work well for us against Norwich, but you need to start the game well and we didn't on Wednesday.

"Today I thought that we settled down well. Sammy Igoe did well against Norwich but I brought in Ricky Newman, he gave us a bit more stability in midfield, and Hughsey got more chance to use his energy."

Meanwhile, Pards was full of praise for the performance of former Trinidad & Tobago international Anthony Rougier up front.

"Rougier was probably my man of the match. But everybody was very, very good. I'd say it was our best performance of the season. Winning at Wolves speaks for itself."