Nighttime Non-Stop
Reading 3 - 3 Northampton (2-4 Pen)
Brian McDermott was hugely disappointed and frustrated after seeing his below-par team go out of the Carling Cup to Northampton Town on penalties on Tuesday evening.
Reading were ahead three times on the night, but the Cobblers took the tie to spot kicks with the last kick of the game, scoring in the fifth minute of injury time even though only three minutes had been shown by the referee.
Shane Long had been denied an absolutely stonewall penalty just seconds before, and Julian Kelly was also denied a clear penalty early on - but one must also credit Northampton for refusing to give up.
McDermott said, "We are very, very disappointed. Three goals against us is not good enough at home, it's inexcusable and we have to be better than that.
"I picked a team that I thought would win the game, and we should have won the game. We were in front three times, you can't go in front three times and not win the game.
"Having said that, the referee missed an absolutely stonewall penalty at the end. I've seen it again, it was a certain penalty, he was going to score and he was brought down. He also came up with four minutes of extra time at the end, I think he was going to blow when Marcus Williams gave the foul away but didn't, it was a strange performance from him. But that doesn't forgive the fact we've conceded three goals at home in a game we should have won."
On the Kelly penalty claim very early on in the match Brian said, "It looked like it to me, but who is interested in talking about that when the game is finished?
"Northampton played well but I am disappointed with us, we gave them every opportunity to play well. They played some good football, and the kid Jacobs who came on looks like a good talent for them. They were decent but that doesn't excuse us, I'm just so disappointed, and for our supporters. We should have gone through.
"We're all dejected, myself, the players and the fans will be as well. If you look at our team, there was experience all over the pitch. We have to look forward to Leicester, we can't do any more than that."
At the end of normal time Brian's team talk took place on the pitch, and he was clearly unhappy with his players, giving them a demonstrative dressing down. He explained, "I said we've just been booed by our own fans, we've never come close to that, I told them that, they need to make it up to our fans. I could understand that reaction, I just wanted to make sure at least we went through. At 3-2 we should have done that, with seconds to go. We've gone out and we have a very bitter taste in the mouth."
'Keeper Ben Hamer's mishandle led to Northampton's opening goal, and Brian said, "It's a mistake. Once someone makes a mistake you must move on, we still went ahead twice more so we should have finished the game off."
Reading were unfortunate to lose Michail Antonio at half time, the winger having played well in the opening 45 minutes. "I thought he did some really, really good things, it was a shame when we went off, he could have been a catalyst. Jem took a knock, Antonio too, Tabby is not fit, Ivar won't be fit so we'll have to see.
"It's vitally important we all pick ourselves up, get the right result on Saturday and give a good account of ourselves in front of our fans. We can't afford to dwell on it, but I am bitterly disappointed. We have to have strong characters, we're three games into the season and that is a game that I wanted to win, expected to win."
Reading were ahead three times on the night, but the Cobblers took the tie to spot kicks with the last kick of the game, scoring in the fifth minute of injury time even though only three minutes had been shown by the referee.
Shane Long had been denied an absolutely stonewall penalty just seconds before, and Julian Kelly was also denied a clear penalty early on - but one must also credit Northampton for refusing to give up.
McDermott said, "We are very, very disappointed. Three goals against us is not good enough at home, it's inexcusable and we have to be better than that.
"I picked a team that I thought would win the game, and we should have won the game. We were in front three times, you can't go in front three times and not win the game.
"Having said that, the referee missed an absolutely stonewall penalty at the end. I've seen it again, it was a certain penalty, he was going to score and he was brought down. He also came up with four minutes of extra time at the end, I think he was going to blow when Marcus Williams gave the foul away but didn't, it was a strange performance from him. But that doesn't forgive the fact we've conceded three goals at home in a game we should have won."
On the Kelly penalty claim very early on in the match Brian said, "It looked like it to me, but who is interested in talking about that when the game is finished?
"Northampton played well but I am disappointed with us, we gave them every opportunity to play well. They played some good football, and the kid Jacobs who came on looks like a good talent for them. They were decent but that doesn't excuse us, I'm just so disappointed, and for our supporters. We should have gone through.
"We're all dejected, myself, the players and the fans will be as well. If you look at our team, there was experience all over the pitch. We have to look forward to Leicester, we can't do any more than that."
At the end of normal time Brian's team talk took place on the pitch, and he was clearly unhappy with his players, giving them a demonstrative dressing down. He explained, "I said we've just been booed by our own fans, we've never come close to that, I told them that, they need to make it up to our fans. I could understand that reaction, I just wanted to make sure at least we went through. At 3-2 we should have done that, with seconds to go. We've gone out and we have a very bitter taste in the mouth."
'Keeper Ben Hamer's mishandle led to Northampton's opening goal, and Brian said, "It's a mistake. Once someone makes a mistake you must move on, we still went ahead twice more so we should have finished the game off."
Reading were unfortunate to lose Michail Antonio at half time, the winger having played well in the opening 45 minutes. "I thought he did some really, really good things, it was a shame when we went off, he could have been a catalyst. Jem took a knock, Antonio too, Tabby is not fit, Ivar won't be fit so we'll have to see.
"It's vitally important we all pick ourselves up, get the right result on Saturday and give a good account of ourselves in front of our fans. We can't afford to dwell on it, but I am bitterly disappointed. We have to have strong characters, we're three games into the season and that is a game that I wanted to win, expected to win."