Reading 1, West Brom 1: Chris Lepkowski's big match verdict

Mar 29 2010 by Christopher Lepkowski, Birmingham Mail

SO WHAT’S it to be – a Newcastle win? A draw? Surely not a Nottingham Forest victory?

All eyes are now on St James’s Park after Albion salvaged a draw at Reading.

A draw is probably now Albion’s ideal scenario. It prevents Newcastle from increasing their lead to four points, while keeping Forest at arm’s length. It would mean Albion probably only needing three wins from their remaining six games.

A Newcastle victory would be next up. A Forest win does little to help Albion’s cause.

In any case the Baggies have Gabriel Tamas to thank for the point on Saturday. He and Scott Carson that is. For while the Beast of Brasov smashed in a fantastically-executed equaliser after Gylfi Sigurdsson’s opener, it was the Albion goalkeeper who kept his side in reach of points.

Carson was powerless to prevent Sigurdsson’s sixth-minute opener. He’d already denied one Reading player a certain goal, only for the second rebound to be despatched.

The Albion captain then proceeded to produce a master class in goalkeeping.

Carson has been under fire recently. His hesitancy has been questioned, with the recent display at QPR leading to questions as to whether he needed time off.

But he responded with a tremendous display. Roberto Di Matteo described it as ‘magnificent’ and you have to nod at the sentiment. It was the Italian who kept faith with the England man when he could easily have ushered in Dean Kiely.

That would have been the easy part but Carson remained and in many respects has reacted to that Loftus Road debacle.

He doesn’t believe he will make the World Cup and perhaps the clarity in his state of mind over not travelling to South Africa has helped him focus on restoring his form.

Carson is 24 – still young for a goalkeeper. On Saturday he came to his side’s rescue when the defence in front of him collapsed as a unit.