All matches
Championship · 2014/2015
Wolves 1-2 Reading
Away

Match Report

Reading
P Pogrebnyak (1) D Williams (70).
Wolves
B Afobe (26).
Reading returned from a difficult away trip to Wolves with three points in the bag - thanks to a second goal in two games from a resurgent Pavel Pogrebnyak and a second half winner from Danny Williams. The win saw Reading record consecutive league victories for the first time since September last year. Under Steve Clarke Reading find themselves unbeaten in four games, in the fifth round of the FA and up to thirteenth in the Championship table - our highest placing since the start of November.

The Royals appear to have turned a corner and have hauled themselves firmly back into midtable and away from danger with a good chunk of the season to go. Reading's performances continue to improve and the Royals deserved this win after being the better team, despite being away from home against a side trying to earn a play-off finish.

Clarke seems to have discovered a winning side and is sticking to it. With Pogrebnyak in fine form and working well with Cox there was no place for new signing Yakubu, although he was named on the bench he will have to wait before making his Reading debut. Reading were unchanged from their victory the week before against Sheffield Wednesday and worked excellently as a team once again. Norwood and Blackman were both involved from the bench in the second half and Hope Akpan made a late appearance to play the last six minutes as he completed his return from injury.

Pogrebnyak put Reading ahead inside 20 seconds of the game with a great finish for his third goal in five games. Wolves had chances to draw level before they made it 1-1 on 26 minutes when Afobe headed past Adam Federici. Reading however emerged the stronger side after the half time break and the winner came on 70 minutes when Garath McCleary provided a pass in front of Danny Williams allowing him to smash the ball home via the post.

League Position — 2014/2015

Post-Match Fans' Opinion

I seem to be saying the same thing after most games atm..but that's the best I've seen us play in yonks. Particularly in the second half where we didn't give a very capable Wolves side a sniff, while creating a number of chances ourselves. First half was a little more even, but we still kept them at arms length for the majority of the time, with their goal coming from the only 5 min spell of any concerted pressure from their point of view.

Very hard to choose a MOTM. Each and everyone player ran themselves into the ground, particularly McCleary who looked on the verge of collapse towards the end. Special mentions to Pog and Williams for excellent performances capped with goals, but Hector just pips them. The improvement he's shown since Clarke has come in is quite remarkable. He'll go for big money at some point at this rate.

Also a word for the much maligned Kanu who was very good and got a deserved standing ovation when he left the pitch.

What a hero Steve Clarke is. The man has saved the club.
winchester_royal

Well that was a cracking result that we thoroughly deserved. I thought throughout the game we were the better team and always looked likely to win it. Clark has got us playing as a team.

First goal in the first minute was great to watch, everything seemed to fall into place for us, and a tidy finish for Pog.

We had a numerous chances whereas Wolves never really looked likely to score except from a set piece. I don't know how they are just outside the playoffs as their game plan seemed to be pressure the ref into giving them free kicks then to knick a goal from a set piece. Fed made a terrific save from one set piece that really kept us in it.

The ref was particularly shit, a homer who was intimidated by the locals and the Wolves players rolling around and conning him. I was expecting a soft pen or a red card - I guess that's how Wolves get to be where they are in the table. It was hard to get any away atmosphere going but I guess that is their intention putting in the lower stand.
PieEater

Quotes from the Press

Reading ended a run of four away games without a win in the Championship with victory at Wolves. Danny Williams produced a clinical finish in the 70th minute to give the Royals a first win on their travels since beating Norwich on 29 November.

The visitors had made the perfect start to the game through Pavel Pogrebnyak's smart finish after just 20 seconds. They were pegged back when Benik Afobe scored with a header but still emerged victorious thanks to Williams.

The victory lifts Reading up to 13th in the Championship table, eight points behind eighth-placed Wolves, who suffered a first defeat in nine matches.

The home side had worked extremely hard to get back into the game after Pogrebnyak had driven in the opener at the near post. Kevin McDonald put a shot into the side-netting and Bakary Sako saw a header cleared off the line by Nathaniel Chalobah before they eventually drew level through Afobe's header from a Rajiv Van La Parra cross. However, Reading regrouped and decisively seized control of the game again with 20 minutes to go when Garath McCleary rolled the ball into the path of Williams and his 20-yard drive found the back of the net via the post.

Reading boss Steve Clarke:
"At half-time I felt we could do more in the game with the ball and in the second half we did that and, yes, I think that we just shaded it. We controlled the game well in the second-half. We defended as well as we have been doing but now we are staring to look a threat going the other way. We have got good pace and power in the team. I thought Pogrebnyak and Simon Cox were good for us."
BBC Sport

This Championship game took place 4166 days ago in the 2014/2015 season.