Kitson ruins Owen's return

Newcastle's English midfielder Michael Owen takes part in a training session at their Benton training ground in Newcastle, north England, 27 April 2007. Owen's return to the Newcastle starting line-up after 10 months out with a cruciate ligament injury failed to spark a fairytale as they lost 1-0 to Reading in their Premiership clash on Monday.

Michael Owen's return to the Newcastle starting line-up after 10 months out with a cruciate ligament injury failed to spark a fairytale as they lost 1-0 to Reading in their Premiership clash on Monday.

Reading's victory - thanks to Dave Kitson's second goal of the campaign - pushed them back into seventh place in the table and a UEFA Cup place for next term.

Defeat for Newcastle, however, left them with just one win in their last nine matches and in danger of recording their worst points haul (they have 42 with two matches remaining with 44 being their previous worst) in their Premiership history.

Reading's manager Steve Coppell said he hadn't expected a freescoring encounter.

"Even before the game I had thought the first goal would be decisive," said Coppell, who has defied pre-season predictions that Reading would go straight back down to the Championship.

"As for Europe our job is to get as many points as we can and if that means we qualify we'll take it."

Stephen Harper was called into action early into his 50th Premiership appearance for Newcastle as he had to save from Stephen Hunt's sharp inswinging corner in the third minute.

There was little of note to trouble either 'keeper, with Reading's American guardian Marcus Hahnemann making one save in the whole of the first period and that was in the eighth minute from a long range effort by Frenchman Antoine Sibierski.

Owen was constantly caught offside and had just one attempt at goal in the 21st minute when his header from James Milner's cross flashed wide of the post.

Kitson finally enlivened the dreary proceedings in the 51st minute as he volleyed home from inside the area following a great cross from the right by Korean international Seol Ki-Hyeon.

Newcastle's dreadful end to yet another underwhelming season continued when influential Turkish international midfielder Emre - scorer of the winner when the sides met last December - had to be replaced by Charles N'Zogbia on the hour mark with what appeared to be a serious injury.

Reading were never threatened after that with Owen barely featuring, the only benefit for his club and country that he saw out the whole 90 minutes.