Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
YANN’S SPOT OF GOLD £170m
Kermorgant’s pen gives Royals final shot at Prem prize
IT just had to be settled by a penalty, didn’t it? As Reading booked their place in Europe’s richest football match, Yann Kermorgant summoned nerves of steel where so many stout hearts had melted. Between them, the Royals and Fulham have missed a staggering 15 out of their 25 spot-kicks this season. But Kermorgant, who once flunked an attempted “Panenka” penalty for Leicester in a play-off semi-final seven years ago, spurned the party tricks this time. And Jaap Stam’s streetwise side are now just 90 minutes from the Premier League – after reaching the £170million Championship play-off final at Wembley on Bank Holiday Monday. Spare a thought for heartbroken Fulham, though, the best footballing side in the division, who paid a prohibitive price for one mistake last night. Not since Bobby Moore and Alan Mullery were among the principal stars at Craven Cottage have Fulham strolled up Wembley Way. Now they will have to wait at least another 12 months to walk in the footsteps of Alec Stock’s 1975 FA Cup Final team. Comedian Paul Whitehouse is thought to have modelled his Ron Manager character on Stock’s paternal burr and such was the urgency of the teams’ fifth meeting this season – including one contest curtailed by fog – that this was another Fast Show in its own right. If the first leg at Craven Cottage was cagier than a zoo, neither goalkeeper was kept waiting to excel. Marcus Bettinelli’s one-handed save from Kermorgant’s sharp turn and shot after 13 minutes was simply world-class. And Ali Al Habsi’s reflexes were in good working order, too. Yes, there was an element of good fortune when he diverted Ryan Fredericks’ effort against the foot of his near post, after the Fulham full-back’s surging run into the box. But there was nothing lucky about Al Habsi’s full-length sprawl to keep out Tom Cairney’s free-kick and Sone Aluko’s follow-up. The deadlock was broken, however, four minutes after the break as Tomas Kalas was penalised by referee Martin Atkinson for handling on the edge of his 18-yard area – and Kermorgant made no mistake. If there was little or no intent behind the Fulham defender’s handiwork, Atkinson’s decision looked a fair cop. And Slavisa Jokanovic’s men were lucky to survive when England Under-21 John Swift prodded Chris Gunter’s right-wing cross straight at Bettinelli from two yards out when it looked easier to score. But Reading still needed more heroics from Al Habsi to survive. The Royals keeper produced an acrobatic save to deny Kalas an equaliser from close range. Then, deep into five minutes of added time, sub Chris Martin headed agonisingly wide from Stefan Johansen’s cross.