The last week has been desperately disappointing for English sport after all the hope and hype.

Fortunately, for Rovers fans, there was consolation to be found at Ewood Park on Saturday afternoon.

Okay, the first 45 minutes were better than the second half but, let's face it, it wouldn't be Rovers if they let you rest too easy on an unassailable lead.

There was something of an inevitability in us sitting back in the second half and when Reading threw on their better strikers it wasn't surprising they would get some joy.

If you're going to concede two goals at home the time to do it is when you've scored more, and what beauties the three first half goals were, with Tugay's trademark volley being the pick of the bunch. How many more jewels will we see from our Turkish maestro before he hangs up his boots?

Tugay may not be a prolific scorer, but when he does bag them, they're usually worth waiting for.

Memo to Arsene Wenger: Rovers were involved in yet another game with very few fouls and no red or yellow cards!

I think the performance of the referee on Saturday, Mr. Marriner, was one of the best I've seen.

For one thing, he did not place an albatross round his neck by booking someone for a petty foul in the first quarter (why do so many refs think they have to do that?) When there was a bit of argy bargy between Brett Emerton and Shane Long he treated them like adults by giving them a stern lecture instead of brandishing cards like a crazed Paul Daniels. Result? A good, competitive, flowing game, with no nasty incidents.

Other referees visiting Ewood please take note. (Any references to Samuel Taylor Coleridge are purely deliberate!)