PHILIP LIVES UP TO THE BILLING
Huddersfield closed to within four points of second-placed Brighton after another triumph in their unexpected promotion challenge.
david Wagner’s third-placed side stretched the gap between them and reading, in fourth, to four points with a dramatic late winner.
A high-quality game between the two sides looked to be heading for a draw before 20- year- old Philip Billing’s clever finish beat reading keeper Ali Al- Habsi and inflicted a first defeat in seven games on Jaap stam’s side.
The reading boss pointed to a second-half penalty claim but Huddersfield, who missed from the spot in the first period, deserved to edge it.
Wagner said: ‘The players and supporters can be proud. i’m very pleased again.
‘it was a very good game. With the chances we created, we did enough to win it.’
it was Germany versus Holland in the managerial stakes and a quality contest despite the wind and rain.
Wagner and stam served up a free-flowing game even if a lack of goals failed to reflect that.
Neither team could be counted out of the race for the top two and it was predictably close, with reading having won 1-0 when the sides met in Berkshire back in september.
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brimmingThey started with like self- a belief side before reading came back strongly before the break.
The biggest talking point of a fine, flowing first half was Huddersfield’s penalty miss — or maybe it should go down as a save from Al-Habsi, who flung himself to his left to keep out rajiv van la Parra’s spot-kick. izzy Brown forced the foul with a run into the box before being tripped by Tyler Blackett but Chelsea’s on-loan striker was substituted soon afterwards. reading recovered and had their chances before lewis Grabban angrily appealed for a penalty when danny Ward saved at his feet. stam said: ‘We needed a penalty from that. i thought lewis was touched. There was very little between the sides. We had chances but couldn’t score.’ instead, it was left to Billing to alter the promotion puzzle once again.