Baggies’ sting in the Tayl is Brucie bonus for Beale
RICHARD BEALE needed just 90 minutes to achieve what took Steve Bruce six games – record his first win in the West Brom hotseat.
Interim boss Beale showed a Midas touch as his one change from Bruce’s final game, Taylor Gardner-hickman, had a hand in both goals.
The academy product, 20, produced a killer 30-yard pass for Matt Phillips’ 25th-minute opener.
He then smashed home a stunning 25-yard strike to double the lead on 72 minutes.
Beale said: “It is a fantastic feeling to get the win and be part of that win in front of the fans.
“As soon as I was told I was taking the team I wanted Taylor to play in there, bringing his energy into the team.
“His energy today was excellent on top of his assist and goal.”
Andy Carroll claimed pre-game that Reading were robbed of a guaranteed three points after Bruce was sacked last Monday.
In truth, Bruce could have played never mind be in the dugout and the Baggies would still have clocked up a second straight clean sheet so little was Carroll’s impact.
West Brom fans appeared to be happy to be without both of them as they booed Carroll on the rare occasions he touched the ball and sang, “Are you watching Steve Bruce?” as they celebrated a win for only the second time this season.
Royals boss Paul Ince was absent due to illness but his assistant Alex Rae said that had nothing to do with his side’s sluggish opening hour to the game.
Brandon Thomas-asante had a couple of efforts blocked before West Brom edged ahead.
Gardner-hickman’s pinged 30-yard diagonal pass teased Reading full-back Nesta Guinnesswalker into a tackle that Phillips easily danced around before beating keeper Dean Bouzanis at his near post.
Lucas Joao glanced Junior Hoilett’s cross just wide as the hosts looked to hit back in a first half in which they threatened little.
Grady Diangana fluffed a big chance to double the lead straight after the break when he dallied on Jed Wallace’s cross.
But when Gardnerhickman left Jeff Hendrick in a heap, the midfielder drove forward before unleashing a vicious strike past Bouzanis.
Baggies keeper Alex Palmer was finally called into serious action as he made a string of saves to deny Mamadou Loum, twice, and sub Yakou Meite before producing a double save from Hoilett to preserve his clean sheet.
Rae said: “We probably did enough to get something out of it after a slow start. You have to give their keeper credit.
“But look at the second goal. The only person who did not think it was a foul was the referee.”
READING: Bouzanis 5; Yiadom 6, Mcintyre 6, Holmes 6; Hoilett 6, Loum 6, Hendrick 6, Ince 6, Guinness-walker 5; Carroll 5 (Meite (65) 6), Joao 6
WEST BROM: Palmer 8; Kelly 7, O’shea 7, Pieters 7; Phillips 7, Gardner-hickman 9, Livermore 7 (Molumby (80) 6), Townsend 7; Wallace 7 (Yokuslu (80)
6), Thomas-asante 6 (Grant (66) 6), Diangana 7 (Cleary (66) 6)
STAR MAN: Taylor Gardner-hickman – Great pass for the first, even better strike for the second.
REF: Tim Robinson 6