Royals flush as boss Paunovic turns the pain on sorry Owls
READING boss Veljko Paunovic watched this win with his arm in a sling – but it was far more painful for ten-man Sheffield Wednesday.
The Royals maintained their promotion push with an easy victory secured by a Michael Olise penalty, a 21st goal of the season from ex-Owl Lucas Joao and a late Andy Yiadom strike.
A sixth straight defeat in the Championship for Darren Moore’s side looked a foregone conclusion from the 30th minute when Julian Borner was sent off after fouling George Puscas in the area.
And relegation to League One for the first time in nine years is creeping ever closer for the stricken south Yorkshire club. Paunovic, who had injured his collarbone in a freak fall last week, has now seen his side claim nine points in a week without letting in a goal.
The Serb said:
“I tore ligaments in my collarbone from an awkward fall and it is pretty nasty.
“But I have had the best medical care and must now recover.
“I haven’t really taken painkillers as I don’t like those – but the most important thing for me today was for team to win.
“We started this game very well and controlled the game.
“And once Lucas said he was no longer comfortable taking them after recent problems, Michael was keen to take them.”
The game-changing moment arrived on the half-hour, as Borner brought down Puscas in the area.
James Linington showed Borner red.
And in a change of penalty taker after Joao’s three misses out of seven from the spot, Olise coolly scored.
Joao hit the bar from an Olise corner.
But he did not have to wait long for a 21st goal of the season, picking his spot after being teed up by Yiadom on 65 minutes.
And the Ghanaian helped himself to a first goal of the season with two minutes left.
Moore said: “We were in the game until the penalty and the sending off, that was pivotal.”