Newcastle United 1 - The Guardian

A little snow, some icy rain and lots of sleet made for an unpleasant afternoon on Tyneside which seemed thoroughly emblematic of the misery engulfing Alan Pardew and his Newcastle United players.

Pardew's players looked to be set for a rare win until Brian McDermott introduced Adam Le Fondre's as a second half substitute. Two goals from Le Fondre transformed the afternoon, lifting Reading out of the relegation zone in the process.

If McDermott's team are reviving it was no surprise Newcastle were booed off. They have won only two of their last 18 games in all competition and have lost four matches and drawn one since their last victory at home to QPR a month ago.

Much of Newcastle's play goes through Yohan Cabaye and they look much more of a passing team when the France midfielder is in the starting X1 so there was a sense of relief around St James' that he was starting his first game since suffering a groin injury in early November.

Cabaye is pretty useful at dead balls too and it was from his first half free kick that Newcastle assumed a lead which had Pardew punching thin air with palpable relief.

Won around 20 yards out courtesy of Syvlain Marveaux's dribble and Adrian Mariappa's foul Cabaye directed the kick into the top corner leaving Adam Federici helpless.

Earlier Cabaye had conjured an excellent headed chance for Papiss Cisse only to see Ferderic save splendidly. Played in the centre of a front with Shola Ameobi to his right and Marveaux on the left, Cisse was looking lively and Reading's goalkeeper reacted smartly to keep his volley out before making an impressive point blank radius save from the Senegalese striker at the end of a sweeping passing move featuring Mathieu Debuchy and Vurnon Anita.

Reading found themselves largely in backs to the wall mode but Tim Krul will have been relieved to see Pavel Pogrebnyak shoot wide following Gareth McLeary's stellar, defence splitting dribble.

Brian McDermott's team are decent at set pieces and might have scored from a couple at the start of the second half. First Cabaye fouled Danny Guthrie - who left Newcastle last summer after tiring of understudying the Frenchman - and Jonas Gutierrez deflected Ian Harte's free kick narrowly wide. Guthrie took the resultant corner which Pardew seemed grateful to see cleared by Davide Santon.

Everything when changed when McDermot made what turned out to be the most inspires substitution. Off went Guthrie, on came Le Fondre and, almost instantly, Reading were level.

Mikel Leigertwood hit a wonderful crossfield ball for Jimmy Kebe who slipped it into the six yard box from where len Fondre bundled it past Krul from close range.

If his first was scrambled, Le Fondre's second was an accomplished shot unleashed after Hooe Akpan's misCued effort rebounded to his feet. In contrast nothing seems to be falling for Pardew or Newcastle right now.