This is one of nine match previews sent to clubgowi subscribers today....

 

Championship: Doncaster Rovers- Reading
 

Rovers will be safe with two wins, but are likely to remain outside the bottom three regardless of what happens this weekend, of course, they would like the breathing space three points would give them and it might even be enough to ensure survival and wild celebrations at the Keepmoat Stadium this evening, but "wanting" and "getting" are not quite the same.
 

Reading are in a very similar situation, albeit at the more comfortable end of the table, win their last two and they will be in the playoffs. The problem for them is that should they slip up this afternoon, it is going to be very difficult for them to force their way back into the top six, especially with two of the three teams who could be above them this evening, meeting next week and they would have to be idiots of the highest order to play out a draw, in that scenario.
 

Rovers are 9-4-9 at home and the Royals have been far happier on the road all season .....10-4-8 away from the Madejski. Those numbers alone indicate that a draw is less likely than in a normal Championship game and whilst a point might be useful for the home side, I do not see the match playing out like that, with the visitors going all out for three points and gambling heavily if they have to. We discussed them at the end of March ahead of a trip to another struggler in Birmingham City .......

They (City) have kept only one clean sheet in 14 starts and another looks unlikely against a team with as much offensive threat as the Royals. The visitors will be disappointed they have not put pressure on the top two, due to a lack of consistency, but falling out of the top six last week, will surely have served as a major wake up call and they will be looking for three points today. They are far happier on the road, where teams do not sit back and the Royals can use their pace to hit teams on the counter, they have already posted 8 of their 15 wins on the road and have scored 11 in their last four road games, 3 or more in 3, trips to Millwall. QPR and Leeds United.

Adam Le Fondre (at this level),Royston Drenthe, Pavel Pogrebnyak amongst others, give them a touch of class up front, especially the hugely underated , but not by Royals fans, Jobi McAnuff. he is finally getting a run of games after niggling injuries and I fancy him strongly today against either Paul Caddis or the inexperienced right back options for City. Hosts have the youngest squad in the Championship by some way and could do with some more experience over what looks a tricky run in for them.

 

The Royals won that 2-1, with a brace of goals from Jobi McAnuff whom I highlighted in my notes.They have gone about their inconsistent ways ever since, a post season spot should, in all honesty, have been sealed weeks ago, on a good day, they are a match for anyone and have enough top flight quality, or perhaps we should say, above Championship level quality to ride rough shod over teams like Rovers, who in my opinion, have too many League 1 level players in their squad. Reading have been unlucky with injuries all season, I will give them that, but there can be no excuses now and if Rovers do look for the win and I am reasonably certain they will, there can be only one winner for me.
 

Reading won the reverse fixture 4-1 and have not lost in four trips to Doncaster, winning three and all came at this stage of the season, at the business end of the campaign, so plenty of positive and (fairly) recent memories of playing here. Rovers are going to take a chance on a couple of senior defensive players who have been out injured recently and they seem likely to start at less than 100% fitness and against the pacy Royals, that could be suicidal. Away win. 1.75 units Reading -0.5 ball 2.20 general quote.
 

Stats: Only the two promoted clubs Leicester City and Burnley have collected more second half road points than Reading ( 10-7-5 after the break). Readers with long term memories might recall that I have spoken several times before about the fitness levels Royals boss Nigel Adkins demands from his teams, so it makes sense that they would be strong, when others are flagging.