READING 1

Barrow (12)

preston north end 0

Preston’s play-off hopes suffered a setback when they lost at struggling Reading.

The away side sat only three points from the play-off places before kick off, but they had suffered a recent dip in form, losing three of their previous four matches.

Reading ended a nine-game winless run by beating QPR 1-0 at home on Good Friday in new manager Paul Clement’s first match in charge, but they succumbed 3-0 at Aston Villa on Tuesday.

The home side went ahead in the 12th minute when Mo Barrow nodded home his 10th goal of the season. Jon Dadi Bodvarsson glanced on Liam Kelly’s free kick for Barrow to head in at the far post.

Preston replied almost immediately, also from a free kick. Louis Moult took aim from just outside the area, but his crisply-struck effort hit a post and ricocheted away.

Preston continued to press and Moult should have done better than tamely head over from a Greg Cunningham cross.

Tom Barkhuizen also scorned an opening after running through alone. He shot from 20 yards, but it was comfortably parried by Vito Mannone.

Preston almost fell further behind in first-half stoppage time, but keeper Declan Rudd clawed away Liam Moore’s goalbound header from a Sone Aluko free kick.

However, they could have equalised on two occasions shortly after the interval. First, Billy Bodin volleyed over from close in at the far post from a Cunningham cross.

Then, substitute Sean Maguire headed powerfully against the bar, with Mannone beaten, from a Bodin centre.

Preston continued to push forward, crossing the ball with great regularity, but unable to pierce the home defence.

Bodin could have snatched a draw for Preston near the end but, after cutting in from the right, he drove the ball tamely across the face of the goal.