Royals go fourth...
STAM’S PREM PUSH HOTS UP
YANN KERMORGANT backed up his fighting talk by flooring Leeds as Reading moved above their rivals in the play-off race.
The Frenchman had reopened old wounds between these clubs with pre-match claims that Leeds had no Plan B, lacked subtlety and were over-reliant on striker Chris Wood.
It was the kind of talk that demanded the flamboyant 35-year-old walk the walk – and he managed it with the only goal of a tetchy game.
Leeds’ Liam Cooper clashed with Reece Oxford in an incident that left Reading’s on-loan youngster on the ground, holding his head, and bottles were thrown towards Reading keeper Ali Al-habsi.
Reading, though, made hard work of a victory that should have been far more comfortable and they were wobbling at the end as Leeds came off the ropes.
But Kermorgant’s 11th goal of the season – blasted home midway through the first-half – deservedly lifted them into fourth spot in the table.
Reading manager Jaap Stam paid tribute to Kermorgant’s influence, as well as his goals, and said: “Yann is one of the driving forces in the team. It is not just as a player, but his mentality. He has been in several teams who have been in this position. Everyone wants to go up and he can pass on the experience to the younger players.
“We play in a different way to Leeds, but the way we play is very important to us. I am happy with the win and the performance. Everyone worked hard.”
The goal came when Leeds defender Charlie Taylor opted to head a Reading throw-in back across his penalty box and the ball bounced invitingly for Kermorgant. He wasted no time in smashing it past Rob Green.
On the clash between Cooper and Oxford, Staam added “Reece is not the type to go down without reason, but I haven’t yet seen it.”
Leeds boss Garry Monk said: “We wanted to make it eight games unbeaten, but we made too many mistakes in the first half – you can’t afford to do that.
“We made them uncomfortable in the second half and, if we had got an equaliser, no one could have complained.
“We were pushing, but we couldn’t find the finish we needed. I’m disappointed, but there are seven games left.”