Nerves jangle ahead of crunch game.

Last updated : 14 May 2003 By Dave Burgess

I’ve not even set off from Manchester yet and already my heart is beating twice as fast!

This is it! Crunch time at Reading.


Love them or hate them – the play-offs certainly add to the tension and drama of a long footballing season.


With a slender 2-1 lead over our hosts tonight absolutely anything can happen. With no away goal factor there could even be the nightmare scenario of penalties.


I think that I’m more nervous about reaching the Division 1 play-off final for the first time than actually winning at the Millennium stadium in the final.


However, I could be the lucky mascot the team needs. The only other time I’ve been to both legs of a Wolves play-off semi-final was when we beat Colchester 2-0 on aggregate way back.


Since then we know we’ve been beaten all three times on our travels that have ultimately lead to our downfall at this hurdle.


We’ve read all the hype coming out of Berkshire etc., whilst I feel we’ve kept a low key, so now it’s time to let the football do the talking.


I expect Newton to start tonight as he definitely had more impact than Ndah out on the right. Also Butler will be risked from the start, as he seemed to contain the majority of the threat from the Reading forwards. In midfield there might be a change to combat the 4-5-1 formation that Reading lined up with at the Molineux. However, it might be better to concentrate on our strengths of 4-4-2 rather than change to suit.


Will it be a case of fouth time lucky?


Well if you can’t get there, shout your support at the Sky Tv coverage and let’s roar the boys on.


Come on the Wolves!


E-mail me with any comments/feedback to: dave@wolves-mad.co.uk