Saturday 8 December 2007 17:15 FA Barclays Premier League
"Reading"	1 - 3	"Liverpool"
	(1-0)
GOAL
Hunt 16 p., Doyle 59, Harper 66		Gerrard 28
1  Marcus Hahnemann   2  Graeme Murty   5  Ibrahima Sonko  16  Ivar Ingimarsson   3  Nicky Shorey  10  Stephen Hunt  15  James Harper   6  Brynjar Gunnarsson  17  Bobby Convey   9  Kevin Doyle  12  Dave Kitson  Subs:  36  Adam Federeci  22  Andre Bikey   4  Kalifa Cisse   8  Leroy Lita  24  Shane Long		25  Jose Reina  17  Alvaro Arbeloa  46  Jack Hobbs   6  John Arne Riise  23  Jamie Carragher   8  Steven Gerrard (c)  20  Javier Mascherano  22  Mohamed Sissoko   9  Fernando Torres  10  Andriy Voronin  15  Peter Crouch  Subs:  30  Charles Itandje   4  Sami Hyypia   7  Harry Kewell  19  Ryan Babel  18  Dirk Kuyt
SUBSTITUTIONS
Sonko (Bikey 80)  Convey (Lita 87)  Murty (Cisse 90)		Torres (Kewell 60)  Gerrard (Babel 71)  Carragher (Hyypia 82)
OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS
Referee: Andre Marriner
Booked:		Booked: Gerrard 58
VENUE		MANAGERS
Madejski Stadium (24,200) Attendance: 24,022		Steve Coppell (Reading) Rafael Benitez (Liverpool)

  Price: J

  Notes:

  - Liverpool's first loss in the league in this season.

  Liverpool have crashed to their first Premier League defeat of the season after second half goals from Kevin Doyle and James Harper gave Reading a 3-1 win at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.

  The Reds suffered an usual off day as their run of five straight wins was brought to a resounding end by a plucky Reading. The home side getting a massive helping hand from the referee when he wrongly awarded a penalty against Carragher that Hunt converted, but they stunned Liverpool with second half goals from Doyle and Harper to cancel out a Steven Gerrard equalizer.

  Liverpool did have chances to rescue the game and their unbeaten record, but they were denied by a combination of near misses, the woodwork and Reading keeper Hahnemann.

  The game started scrappily, but Liverpool were the first to threaten and they'd have taken a 7th minute lead but for the legs of Hahnemann. The chance coming when a long throw from Riise reached Torres on the edge of the six yard box, but his instant shot was blocked by the shins of the Reading goalkeeper and the ball went out for a corner.

  Startled into action, the home side launched a period of pressure that would lead to them taking the lead through a wrongly awarded penalty in the 17th minute.

  Liverpool should have smelt danger when Hobbs was forced into some smart defending to win the ball ahead of Doyle; and then Reina saved well from Gunnarsson, but they were downright unlucky when the referee awarded a penalty kick for Carragher's foul on Kitson that clearly happened outside of the area.

  Television replays confirmed the error of the referee and his assistant, but there was to be no reprieve because Hunt sent Reina the wrong way from the spot to score only the seventh league goal conceded by the Reds this season.

  Galvanised by their goal, Reading had Liverpool on the back foot for a while, but Rafa's side soon recovered their composure and they levelled the scores through Steven Gerrard's ninth goal in ten games on 28 minutes.

  The equalizer came when Pepe Reina's long ball reached Torres and his pass found Gerrard, who scored low under Hahnemann from 12 yards after he'd bustled his way into the area. What a run of goalscoring Gerrard's on; and his latest one was just what was needed to get his side out of a sticky moment.

  The remainder of the first half pretty much belonged to the Reds, at least in an attacking sense. They had appeals for a penalty of their own waived away when Sonko appeared to trip Torres in the box, and Voronin's fierce drive close to half time brought a good save out of Reading stopper Hahnemann.

  Liverpool started the second half in the ascendancy when Crouch's cross was headed wide by Torres, who was brave to put his head to the ball. And they should have taken the lead in the 52nd minute when Jack Hobbs beat the offside trap only to slice Riise's cross high over the crossbar.

  The Reds were getting on top, but they still weren't getting the rub of the green from the referee. Again a foul by Sonko on Torres in the area failing to persuade the referee he should level up the penalty count.

  Liverpool weren't about to start feeling sorry for themselves though and they continued to threaten another goal when this time Riise brought a fine save out of Hahnemann with a blistering drive from 25 yards.

  It was all Liverpool, but they were to suffer a double blow in the 60th minute when Reading scored against the run of play and they lost Fernando Torres, who looked to be feeling the effects of Sonko's challenge.

  They fell behind when a Gerrard foul on Hunt gave Reading a free kick midway inside the Liverpool half and Shorey's deep cross beat Reina after appearing to have had a slight touch from Kevin Doyle. And after Torres was replaced by Kewell, the Reds would have to come behind for a second time without their leading scorer.

  Liverpool's unbeaten start to the season was under serious threat, but they were almost level immediately when Gerrard's 30-yarder crashed back off the Reading crossbar.

  There was a growing feeling that this wasn't to be Liverpool's day and that was confirmed when James Harper unbelievably made it 3-1 to Reading. The killer blow landed by Harper as he stroked the ball home after going around Pepe Reina.

  Rafa's side didn't give up and Crouch's shot hit a post, but it was clear the game was up and Benitez saved Gerrard and Carragher for battles to come when he replaced them with Babel and Hyypia. The Reds must now pick themselves for pivotal games against Marseille and Manchester United.

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