Powell arrives in the Nick of time to earn crucial point
NICK POWELL’S header in the second minute of stoppage time rescued a Stoke side who seemed to be sleepwalking into big trouble after a dozy first-half display.
They woke up after the interval and Powell’s late effort extended their unbeaten run to five games.
But they still dropped a point closer to the bottom three thanks to results elsewhere.
Stoke boss Michael O’Neill was fit enough to take his place in the dugout after self-isolating earlier this month following a positive test for coronavirus.
O’Neill said: “I think we deserved something from the game. When we beat Hull
5-1 before the break I think people had a false sense of security. Every point will be vital.”
He cannot have enjoyed the early stages as his team showed little of the urgency expected from a side looking over their shoulder.
Reading went ahead after only seven minutes when Lucas Joao flicked Yakou Meite’s near-post cross right-footed past Jack Butland for his sixth Royals goal of the season.
The Portuguese striker had not played since picking up a hamstring injury in a
2-1 win at Fulham on New Year’s Day but the extended break had given him time to recover.
Tom Ince fluffed a chance to level in the
16th minute when he found space in the penalty area, only to half-volley straight at Reading goalkeeper Rafael Cabral.
But it was almost 2-0
11 minutes later when
Michael Olise sent Butland diving to his right to turn aside a shot from 22 yards.
And Joao was inches away from poking home an in-swinging cross from Olise on the half-hour.
O’Neill had to change things and he did, sending on James McClean for the second half, and Royals skipper Liam Moore had to clear a dangerous cross-shot from the Irishman.
But Reading again went close to doubling their lead when former England Under-21s midfielder John Swift swerved a free-kick against the crossbar from 20 yards.
Stoke needed to make an impression and Tyrese Campbell almost provided it when his first-time left-foot shot from Sam Clucas’ pass was deflected against the post.
And in stoppage time Powell nodded in from close range after James Chester had headed back Lasse Sorensen’s corner.
Reading manager Mark Bowen said: “I thought we played pretty well for long periods but our decision-making could have been better in terms of seeing the game out.
“A lack of concentration at a vital time cost us.”
CHRIS WILDER has claimed his Sheffield United stars have been ridiculous this season – in a
GOOD way.
The straight talking boss takes his over-performing stars to Newcastle today still in with a shout of playing in Europe next season.
And although the pressure is on for the Blades to finish off their first Premier League campaign in 13 years in style, Wilder says he is relaxed about the outcome.
“The most important thing is we give everything and if it’s not to be it won’t be for lack of effort. You look at teams directly around us and see how the break has affected them in a positive way – there’s no doubt about it.
“But talking about us in the same way as the teams around us it’s just ridiculous what our players have achieved.
“They don’t want to fall off the side of a cliff they want to keep going and that’s brilliant for me. There will be no motivational speeches from me.
“The players know what they can achieve and they want to keep going.
“It’s not how far you have come it’s how far you can go and that’s just been our attitude.
“We haven’t got comfy slippers on nor are we uptight about achieving stuff just as we weren’t last year. All I want is for the players to enjoy this experience, give it everything as they’ve done for me