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Live Commentary: Reading 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur - as it happened

Sports Mole provides live text commentary on the Premier League meeting between Reading and Tottenham Hotspur at the Madejski Stadium.

Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live text commentary on the Premier League clash between Reading and Tottenham Hotspur at the Madejski Stadium.

Both sides are looking to record their first league win of the season. Spurs have claimed two points from their opening three matches and currently sit 16th in the table.

Meanwhile, Brian McDermott's side occupy the final relegation place, having taken just one point from two matches.

Spurs are unbeaten in their last five matches with the Royals, winning four.


6pmThat concludes Sports Mole's live coverage of this weekend's football. However, we will be back tomorrow evening for Newcastle United's trip to Everton. Goodbye.

5.57pmA stylish performance from Spurs, who thoroughly deserve their win by a two-goal margin. Reading will be encouraged by their late goal, however the Royals will have to improve if they want to claim a favourable result at West Bromwich Albion next weekend.

5.53pmFull time: Reading 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur

90+2minBOOKING! Defoe is shown a yellow card for fouling Harte with his arm.

90minThe fourth official has indicated that there will be a minimum of three minutes added time.

90minGoal for Reading! 1-3. Spurs' hopes of a first clean sheet under AVB evaporate, as Le Fondre chips a ball to Robson-Kanu at the far post and the 23-year-old volleys home on the stretch.

89minChance for Spurs! Defoe misses a good opportunity to get his hat-trick. Dempsey plays a neat one-two with Townsend and stands up a cross towards the penalty spot, where Defoe volleys five yards too high.

87minSUBSTITUTION. Today's final change sees Lennon, who has had a brilliant game, replaced by Andros Townsend.

85minOff the line! Le Fondre provides Reading's first shot on target, but it is cleared away at the last minute by Gallas.

81minSUBSTITUTIONS. Reading make a double change. Danny Guthrie and Pavel Pogrebnyak make way for Hal Robson-Kanu and Noel Hunt.

78minSUBSTITUTION. Dempsey comes on for Bale to make his Spurs debut. The American is wearing the number two shirt! That is not right!

74minGoal for Spurs! 3-0 Defoe scores his second. He wins the ball on the halfway line and skips his way into the penalty area, before producing a brilliant finish with his left foot.

73minSUBSTITUTION. Huddlestone comes on in place of Sigurdsson.

71minGoal for Spurs! 2-0 Walker gets to the byline and pulls back to Bale, who untidily tucks the ball away from 10 yards.

70minHalf-hearted appeals for a penalty (from the fans only), as Spurs skipper William Gallas makes a firm but fair tackle on Mikele Leigertwood.

66minChance for Spurs! Bale gets away down the left and pulls the ball back to Defoe, who turns on the near post and blasts wide.

63minReading are enjoying a purple patch right now. The crowd rise to their feet as their team win a third corner is quick succession. The Royals are still yet to register a shot on target though.

60minTottenham take Reading by surprise with a short corner. Sigurdsson's shot is blocked and the ball is cleared.

59minSpurs go close! Lennon gets in behind down the right and his low cross is deflected narrowly wide by Kaspars Gorkss.

58minBale collects the ball inside the centre circle and drives through the middle, before fizzing a low shot wide from 25 yards.

55minGolden chance for Spurs! Dembele runs 40 yards with the ball and then fires left-footed across goal to Defoe, who deflects the ball over the bar from four yards.

51minDisappointing delivery by Sigurdsson. The ball is cleared.

50minChance for Spurs! Lennon storms forward and tries to thread the ball through to Defoe. It rebounds to him and his cross is blocked at the near post. Corner.

46minThe Royals kick off and the match is resumed.

4.59pmSUBSTITUTION. Reading will make a change ahead of the second half. Adam le Fondre will come on in place of Jem Karacan. A striker for a midfielder.

4.55pmClick here to read Matt Law's Half-Time Report.

4.54pmSpurs will be disappointed not to be leading by more than one at the break. The visitors have enjoyed 62.2 percent of possession and registered five shots on target, compared to Reading's zero.

4.49pmHalf time: Reading 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur

45minThe fourth official has indicated that there will be a minimum of two minutes added time.

41minDefoe is looking very dangerous right now. He turns on the edge of the D and fizzes two yards wide.

40minReading captain Jobi McAnuff shoots high and wide from distance.

37minsAnother let off for the Royals. Defoe wins the ball back 25 yards out and slips in Lennon, but the winger's touch lets him down. Goal kick.

36minsAwful delivery by Harte. It doesn't even reach the penalty area.

35minsFree kick to Reading 35 yards out on the right. Foul by Sandro.

31minsOff the line! McCarthy takes a heavy touch and is dispossessed by Defoe, who pulls it back for Sigurdsson. His shot from four yards is cleared off the goalline by the studs of Pearce.

24minSpurs go close! Reading's free kick is cleared and Defoe latches onto a long clearance with a delightful first touch. The England international then gets away from two defenders before shooting wide with the outside of his right boot from just inside the area.

22minFree kick to Reading on the right wing. Naughton fouls Garath McCleary.

20minSpurs go close! Sandro crashes in a fierce low drive from 25 yards. McCarthy spills it and Alex Pearce does very well to clear the ball before Lennon can pounce.

17minGOAL FOR SPURS! 1-0 Sigurdsson plays a superb ball in behind to Lennon, who pulls back for Jermain Defoe to stroke home from eight yards.

15minReading have not touched the ball for a good two minutes, but Spurs are not penetrating much.

10minPenalty appeal! A ball is swung into the Spurs area and strikes Walker on the hand. However, the referee penalises a Reading attacker for an apparent push.

7minVertonghen finds Bale with a 40-yard pass. The Welshman gets a touch on the ball inside the penalty area, but he can't control it and it skids out for a goal kick. Bright start by Spurs.

6minThe corner comes to nothing.

5minGareth Bale's deep cross is headed at goal by Gylfi Sigurosson. Alex McCarthy parries the ball out as far as Jan Vertonghen, whose shot is tipped away for a corner.

4minAaron Lennon darts inside from the left and is fouled by Ian Harte. Free kick 30 yards out...

2minsKyle Walker has the first effort of the game, shooting high and wide from 25 yards.

0minSpurs get the game underway.

3.59pmBoth teams conduct pre-match huddles. Tottenham's is orchestrated by captain William Gallas. The Frenchman is very animated and appears to spit a little piece of saliva into Sandro's face. The big Brazilian flinches not an inch.

3.58pmThe players enter the pitch. Spurs are wearing their black and grey third kit for the first time. They look like a team of Barratt's Black Jacks.

3.54pmReading will play 'You'll Never Walk Alone' on the stadium speakers in the next few minutes to honour the 96 Liverpool fans who lost their lives at Hillsborough on 15 April 1989.

3.52pmAVB on his decision to select Friedel ahead of Lloris: "Out of respect for Brad, the form that he has been in, we will keep with him in the Premier League, but it makes sense to prepare for our future and we did that by signing Hugo Lloris. He did not express any discomfort, he is completely happy."

3.50pmAndre Villas-Boas needs his side to win today in order to avoid entering the record books in embarrassing fashion. No Spurs manager has yet failed to record a single win in their first four league games in charge.

3.48pmAndre Villas-Boas needs his side to win today in order to avoid entering the record books in embarrassing fashion. No Spurs manager has yet failed to record a single win in their first four league games in charge.

3.45pmClint Dempsey has been named among the Spurs substitutes and could make his debut at some point this afternoon.

3.42pmMoussa Dembele makes his first Premier League start for the visitors, as does Kyle Naughton - in place of the injured Benoit Assou-Ekotto at left-back.

3.39pmMeanwhile, Reading hand 22-year-old keeper Alex McCarthy his Premier League debut. Adam Federici is not in the 18-man squad because of injury.

3.38pmThe team news is all about the goalkeepers. Brad Friedel retains his place between the posts for Spurs, leaving expensive arrival and France number one Hugo Lloris on the bench.

3.36pmSpurs: Friedel; Walker, Gallas, Vertonghen, Naughton, Sandro, Dembele, Lennon, Sigurdsson, Bale, Defoe. Subs: Lloris, Caulker, Dawson, Huddlestone, Townsend, Adebayor, Dempsey.

3.35pmReading: McCarthy, Gunter, Gorkss, Pearce, Harte, McCleary, Karacan, Leigertwood, McAnuff; Guthrie, Pogrebnyak. Subs: S.Taylor, Shorey, Mariappa, Cummings, Robson-Kanu, Le Fondre, Hunt.

3.34pmThe teams are in...
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