LEEDS UNITED 0

reading 1

Barrow (84)

Vito Mannone saved a stoppage-time penalty to ensure Mo Barrow’s goal was enough to inflict a third straight league defeat on former club Leeds.

United were handed a lifeline after Samuel Saiz was brought down in the box, but Mannone kept out Pablo Hernandez’s weak spot-kick to give the Royals their first win in seven games.

Barrow failed to make an impact during a five-game loan spell with Leeds towards the end of last season, but he showed United what he was capable of in a match-winning cameo off the bench. Andy Lonergan had kept Leeds in the match only for Barrow to deny him a clean sheet. Reading created the only clear-cut chances of the first half only to be denied twice by Lonergan. After Roy Beerens had curled a shot over, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson shot straight at Lonergan.

A minute later, the Leeds goalkeeper was at full stretch to keep out Sone Aluko’s low strike. The hosts rarely threatened in the opening 45 minutes with only lone striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga getting sight of the Reading goal.

The German had a weak header saved by Mannone and then curled a long-range shot wide. The pace of the game lifted after the restart with Leeds’ Eunan O’Kane curling wide and Dave Edwards firing over at the other end.

Bodvarsson and Leandro Bacuna failed to test Lonergan with efforts but former United loanee Barrow went closer when he fired across goal.

There was a sense a goal was coming and it was Reading who grabbed it six minutes from time with Leeds incensed.

The hosts were still protesting for a free-kick for a foul on Hernandez when Joey van den Berg slipped in Barrow and he shot under Lonergan.

Leeds responded positively and looked set for a point after a mazy Saiz run was halted by a foul, only for Mannone to guess the right way to keep out Hernandez’s spot-kick.