Reading 0 Wimbledon 1

Last updated : 14 September 2002 By Footymad Previewer

Joel McAnuff snatched a first away win of the season for Wimbledon, with an injury-time goal at Reading.

McAnuff fired a shot high into the top right corner in the second and final minute of stoppage time, to end a woeful game on a high note.

Before that both side had struggled to break down each other's well organised defences.

First division top-scorer Jamie Cureton had gone closest for Reading with a dipping header that was pushed over the bar by back peddling keeper Kelvin Davies, with 10 minutes left.

At the other end Wimbeldon's luck appeared to be out as Neil Shipperley saw a shot on the turn pushed away by Marcus Hahnemann. But other than that the goalkeepers were largely unemployed, in a game of half chances and wasted chances.

Shipperley chalked up a miss from every imaginable angle and he saw headers fly wide of both posts and over the crossbar during a six-minute first-half spell. And fellow striker Wayne Gray's blushes were spared by an off side flag after he had scuffed a shot wide 12 minutes from time.

Reading saw fierce penalty claims waved away by referee Hedgley, after Trinidad international Anthony Rougier tumbled under a challenge from Rob Gier.

But Cureton was still the home side's liveliest outlet and he was unlucky to see a goal bound effort headed clear by Mark Williams, after he'd rounded the keeper.

But it was McAnuff who stole the glory in the dying seconds, latching on to Adam Nowland's pass and firing home, to end Reading's run of 490 minutes without conceding a league goal.

"I was delighted with the 3 points, but we took our time about it!" said Wimbeldon boss Stuart Murdoch.

Reading boss Alan Pardew was left fuming over the penalty decision that went against his side, saying: "It looked a penalty from where I was standing and why would Rougier have gone down otherwise.

"The referee did us no favours today. And I'm not talking about the penalty."