Steve Wignall has two big reasons for wanting Colchester United to win at Reading tomorrow.

The ambitious Layer Road boss wants his on-song U's to become the first team to win at The Royals' new £37,000 state-of-the-art Madejski Stadium.

And he also wants to wet fullback Joe Dunne's new-born baby boy Louis' head with another three points to keep the U's well placed in the top half of the Second Division table.

Little Louis was born less than 36 hours after his dad's finest game of the season, against his old club Gillingham last Saturday.

And Wignall said: "Joe was up for that game - I hope he and the rest of the boys are up for tomorrow's game too.

"They should be - when they run out to play at Reading's brand new stadium it should make them feel ten feet tall."

But he warned: "I don't want the boys to take Reading lightly.

"Their second from bottom position stands for nothing. We are facing a potentially big team here.

"With the kind of money being splashed about, Reading is a club being prepared for the Premiership and I want to go to that spanking new ground and be the first team to win there."

Injury-hit Reading have won only one Division Two games all season - at their old Elm Park ground.

But since moving to the majestic Madejski Stadium they have remained unbeaten in League and cup games against Luton, Burnley and Peterborough, while conceding only one goal.

Royals boss Tommy Burns has up to 14 players out injured and yesterday snapped up promising Manchester United central defender Chris Casper on loan.

Micky Cook's U's Youth team are in South East Counties League action against Leyton Orient at the Garrison B Ground tomorrow morning, kick-off 11am.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.