COLLINS JOY AS ROYALS DENIED
NEILL Collins praised the resilience of his Barnsley side as they came from behind twice to force a draw.
Sam Smith and Lewis Wing netted for the visitors, with Adam Phillips and Fabio Jalo providing equalisers.
The Reds are yet to confirm a play-off spot, whilst Reading all but ensured League One safety with this point, although they were disappointed not to take home all three points.
For Collins, the grit shown by his players to twice respond to conceding was mixed.
He said: “Ultimately, we gave ourselves a chance to win the game. But equally, we didn’t give ourselves enough of a chance with some of the mistakes we made.
“I thought the players’ effort, attitude, and resilience was fantastic and they gave everything right to the last minute. I think in the last 10 to 15 minutes we were the team that looked most like winning.”
The Royals opened the scoring in the 21st minute when Smith nodded home from Femi Azeez’s corner.
The Tykes levelled in the 29th minute when John McAtee dinked a cross from the left for Phillips to head in for his 10th of the season.
Smith wasted a guilt-edge chance to give Reading the lead in the 69th minute when he rolled an effort wide inside the six-yard box from Kelvin Ehibatiomhan’s cut back. Ruben Selles’ side took the lead with nine to play when Lewis Wing smashed one home from 25 yards out.
Barnsley responded well though and equalised two minutes later through 18-year-old Jalo, who headed beyond Button.
Jalo almost got another two minutes later when he broke free inside the box, but his laced effort struck the lefthand post.
On his side’s start to the game, Collins said: “I think we started really well. We created opportunities, but then a little bit of nervousness crept in.
“There were moments in the first half that were poor. But there was equally good play at the other end. There were aspects of it I was disappointed with but it wasn’t a really poor first half performance.
“It was just moments where poor decision-making and poor execution led to chances.
“We caused them equal amount of problems going the other way and it was just one of those games in terms of the open nature of it.”
On his side coming back from behind twice, Collins said: “To score quick helped us a lost. I think it got the stadium up and then Fabio (Jalo) nearly just took the roof off two minutes later with his shot that blasted off the post.”
Reading head coach Ruben
Selles felt his side should have won after twice taking the lead.
He said: “I don’t consider it a good point. I think we deserved the three points. I think we had chances to go and win the game. We didn’t take our chances to do it and in the end, we suffer a little bit.
“I don’t like the point; I prefer to take three. I think we deserve more.
“I think it’s a signal of where we are moving and how we are moving as a team. We can come here, we can compete, we can use our principles and now we need to make one more step and finish the chances when we have them.”
BARNSLEY: Roberts 7, de Gevigney 7, O’Keeffe 6 (McCart 79, 6), Earl 6, Williams 6, Russell 6 (Soares Jaló 35, 7), Kane 6, Cadden 7 (Cotter 73,
7), Phillips 8, McAtee 8, Cole 6. Subs not used: Cosgrove, Grant, Killip, Watters
READING: Castro Pereira 6 (Button 45, 6), Mukairu 7 (Ehibhatiomhan 60, 6), Mbengue 6, Bindon 6, Mola 7, Wing 8, Elliott 6 (Savage 74, 6), Abrefa 6, Azeez 7 (Wareham 89), Knibbs 7, Smith 7. Craig, Rushesha, Ryan