Reading FC 1-0 Wigan Athletic: 60 Second Report

It’s time to make play-off plans people! Reading booked their spot in the promotion lottery after a hard fought 1-0 win over Wigan, in the final home game of the season, a result which also confirmed Wigan’s relegation.

Reading boss Jaap Stam made a trio of changes, with George Evans, Roy Beerens and Garath McCleary returning in place of Danny Williams, Adrian Popa and Lewis Grabban.

Immediately Reading were on the front foot, with teasing crosses from McCleary and Jordan Obita almost leading to the opener. Yet one of the biggest home crowds of the season didn’t have long to wait to celebrate a goal, as a well worked corner routine between McCleary and Kelly ended with Kermorgant nodding home an opener.

Yet the growing party atmosphere was quickly dampened by a serious injury to Wigan’s Shaun MacDonald, following a tackle from George Evans. The Reading midfielder saw yellow but MacDonald was taken straight to hospital ater receiving treatment on the pitch for around ten minutes.

Reading struggled to regain their momentum and soon lost a key man of their own, when Garath McCleary pulled up just before the interval to be replaced by Grabban.

Into the second period and Reading again failed to get a grip on a Wigan side who, with nothing to lose, threw everything at us. Fortunately, they also showed why they’re 23rd in the table with some woeful finishing.

In the end, it didn’t matter. Reading held on and that combined with Huddersfield’s defeat at Birmingham means that we’ll finish third in the table if we win at Burton on the final day.

We’ll have a full report and set of player ratings up later on this weekend so keep an eye out for those.

Reading: Al-Habsi, Obita, Moore, Blackett, Gunter, Evans (Ilori), Swift (Williams) Kelly, Beerens, McCleary (Grabban), Kermorgant