German ace Andreas has Royals in a spot of bother

GARY ROWETT owed a vital win that took Millwall back into the top six to a deadeyed German penalty-taker.

Andreas Voglsammer smashed home a first-half spot-kick after Reading keeper Joe Lumley brought down Zian Flemming right on the edge of the area.

England have suffered in international competition at the hands of the 31-year-old midfielder’s compatriots in shootouts.

And Rowett said: “The penalty was so close to the line, but Vogey took it and it was a brilliant finish and impossible to save.

“He said to me afterwards, ‘I’m German, what do you expect – of course I’m going to score!’

“A bit of banter from him, and we have waited a long time for one.”

The winner came after just 11 minutes. Flemming benefited from a mistake by Naby Sarr, and he was then fouled taking the ball wide of Lumley.

Referee Michael

Salisbury gave the penalty, even though bafflingly he failed to hand Lumley even a yellow card.

Despite crosses lumped in the general direction of Andy Carroll, Reading could not lay a glove on the Lions and failed to get a shot on target.

It was a third defeat in a row for Reading who have won just two in 12, and boss Paul Ince said: “It was a scruffy game because that’s the way Millwall make it. The referee was very poor, it was stop-start all match.”

READING: Lumley 5; Holmes 6, Dann 6 (Moore (46) 6), Sarr 5; Yiadom 6 (Mbengue (46) 6), Ince 5, Hendrick 6, McIntyre 6 (Azeez (78) 6), GuinnessWalker 5 (Casadei (60) 6); S Long 6 (Joao (60) 6), Carroll 6

MILLWALL: G Long 7; McNamara 7, Cooper 8, Cresswell 8, Wallace 7; Saville 7, Leonard 7; Honeyman 6 (Hutchinson (78) 6), Flemming 7, Voglsammer 7 (Burke (78) 6); Bradshaw 7

STAR MAN: Jake Cooper - Heroic leader in a terrific Millwall defensive display preserving an early lead.

REF: Michael Salisbury 4