Good goalkeeping thwarted us, says Alex McLeish
IT WAS good goalkeeping rather than poor finishing that enabled Reading to hold out during a key spell in the match, according to Alex McLeish.
Buoyed by the equaliser, Blues pinned the Royals back and in the 71st minute Mikael Forssell latched on to a Radhi Jaidi attempt that was blocked.
"It was a great chance, but I don't think he could have done anything differently," said McLeish.
"He had to react quickly, he got his shot away and Marcus Hahnemann spread himself and I think it hit his heel.
"So Reading did get a little bit of luck, but credit to the goalkeeper for closing it down. On another day Mikael would have scored, nine times out of 10 he usually would have scored.
"But we missed other chances too. I think we were through on the goalkeeper three times in the game and we didn't score once. These are the things that can hurt you, and if you can't keep them out at the other end..."
And McLeish reflected: "It looks like we are going to have to score two or three goals in any game to win any football match."
He said James McFadden's absence should be viewed as an opportunity by others.
"He has been in excellent form. He has definitely lifted the team, and the other players round and about him. He's inspired them.
"But it's up to others now to step up to the plate, as I said to them before the game.
"I thought they did that well. We made a chance within the first five-10 minutes, we missed it, so we had to get on with it.
"We continued to make decent play and to lose the first goal at the set-piece was a bit of a killer blow."
