TOMLIN RESCUES CARDIFF AT THE DEATH...

LATE comebacks have been the order of the day in the EFL of late – and it happened again at Reading on Monday night. It looked as though Jaap Stam’s Royals were cruising towards all three points when they led 2-0 as the game approached the closing stages. However, Neil Warnock’s Cardiff are made of stern stuff. They had a glimmer of hope when Joe Bennett pulled one back in the 83rd minute and they completed an unlikely comeback when sub Lee Tomlin fired home off the underside of the bar in the first minute of stoppage time. There was more drama to come as Reading skipper Paul McShane headed against the post in the final seconds. Earlier, a Callum Paterson own goal and a Mo Barrow strike had given Reading a 2-0 lead at the break. The result left secondplaced Cardiff four points behind pacesetters Wolves. Cardiff boss Neil Warnock said: “I have to give the lads credit to rally and show resilience to pull it back from two goals down." Warnock had been sent off in the 78th minute (and was later charged with misconduct by the FA), but pleaded his innocence. “It was a free-kick conceded by Callum Paterson and all I said to the fourth official (Andy Woolmer) was that he’d arched his back into the player,” said Warnock. “Before I know it, the referee is coming over and that’s it. “I find it amazing: 69 years old and all my years in the game, I’ve never ever been sent off for something so trivial.” Reading boss Stam said: “It’s very frustrating. You need to deal with their threat from crosses and, once they got that first goal, the belief was there. “It was disappointing not to hold on, especially as we also hit the post before the end.”