Allardyce's Wing-less Flops Take Us Back 40 Years!

READING: Hahnemann, Murty (Rosenior 86), Sonko, Duberry, Shorey, Lita (Long 83), Gunnarsson, Harper, Hunt, Doyle, Kitson.

Subs Not Used: Federici, Ingimarsson, Convey.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Beye, Faye (Milner 74), Cacapa, Jose Enrique, Geremi, Barton, Butt (N'Zogbia 58), Emre, Martins (Smith 58),Owen.

Subs Not Used: Harper, Rozehnal.

Att: 24,119

He started the match with Charles N'Zogbia and James Milner on the bench, while he packed his midfield with grit, sweat and no inspiration.

Then when everything seemed to go "arse over tit" he reverted to the tried and tested Bolton trick of "boot the ball up to the centre-forward" ... who by this time was Alan Smith ... hardly the biggest target man in the Preniership.

Sam can rant and rave as much as likes about performances away from Newcastle, and expect a lot of that this week. But the buck stops with one man.

We've heard every excuse in the book for away defeats this season, usually injury and international-break related. But no excuse is going to stick after another 90 minutes of nothingness.

Substitute Shane Long needed just seconds to net the goal that gave Reading a deserved 2-1 victory over Newcastle at the Madejski Stadium, and Sam has his head up his arse when he says we deserved something out of the game.

He has spent millions, has a team of international players, and Reading have not got the dosh to pay Michael Owen's wages for a month ... never mind buy the player!

However, Allardyce must have thought he had scraped a point when Michael Duberry's own goal cancelled out Dave Kitson's opener.

But Reading boss Steve Coppell's decision to replace the appalling Leroy Lita with the young Irishman paid instant dividends as he popped up with the winner straight away.

Lita has found his second season in the top flight a frustrating one. A bizarre injury suffered while in bed kept him sidelined for a while and Coppell decided to use him only sparingly when he regained fitness.

The former Bristol City man began this game intent on making an impact but went in at the break having fluffed two of the clearest chances of his short career.

The first, in the 12th minute, was the most embarrassing. Kevin Doyle, pushed to the right wing to make way for Lita's return, bulldozed his way into the box and crossed to find his team-mate right in front of goal.

Just a touch was needed to beat Shay Given but Lita missed his kick with his colourful right boot and saw the ball bounce away harmlessly off his other leg.

The second miss came just before the break and was a pathetic ending to the best move of the half.

Stephen Hunt cleared a Newcastle corner, Lita headed it on to send Doyle charging up field again and, after the Irishman had done well to get in a cross despite the close attentions of two challengers, Hunt's simple ball in the box gave Lita a clear sight of the posts again.

This time he connected powerfully but the ball rocketed over.

Claudio Cacapa almost gifted Reading the lead when he carelessly stroking a back-pass beyond Given.

Fortunately for the Toon it did not have the pace to reach the white paint before his goalkeeper scampered back to retrieve.

Reading took the lead in the 52nd minute when Hunt's ball into the box from the left went through the Lita's legs.

Whether it was another bungle or a clever dummy only he will know but it was perfect for Kitson to despatch high past Given.

Allardyce responded with a double change just before the hour mark with the Obafemi Martins replaced by Alan Smith and Charles N'Zogbia coming on for Nicky Butt in midfield.

Joey Barton - making his first start since his £5.8million summer switch from Manchester City - was anonymous in midfield. Obviously not match fit.

Geremi fired a long-range effort harmlessly wide before Abdoulaye Faye was booked for hacking Lita down. The defender was then replaced by James Milner in Allardyce's final reshuffle and this time it paid off instantly.

The newcomer won a free-kick by a corner flag, and Emre swung the free-kick to the near post, where Smith flicked it on across the box.

It would have gone wide but Duberry could not resist trying to get in the way and ended up chesting the ball into the net for an own goal.

Coppell replaced Lita with seven minutes remaining. Long had only been on the pitch a matter of seconds but needed only one touch to take Sonko's flick on past Given and a second to hook it into the net.

Newcastle had no reply to that other than a Cacapa effort correctly ruled out for offside.