FORMER ROYAL RETURNS TO HURT SURVIVAL HOPES
READING’S hopes of Championship survival took a hit after they were beaten at home by Millwall.
Former Reading academy graduate Jake Cooper provided the only goal of the game with a header from a corner in the 37th minute to take maximum points for the visitors.
The Royals now only have a five-point gap separating them and the relegation places after Derby County moved above Barnsley after defeating the Tykes.
Paul Ince made one change from Reading’s defeat at Blackpool as Tom Holmes returned to the starting line-up to replace Tom Dele-Bashiru.
Millwall had two early chances to strike at goal from free-kicks. With set-piece specialist Jed Wallace among their ranks, the visitors may have fancied their chances at taking an early lead.
The first free-kick struck Junior Hoilett in the wall and the second ballooned well over the target.
Reading’s first chance came in the seventh minute when Tom Ince unleashed a shot from the edge of the box that was parried out by Bartosz Bialkowski.
Murray Wallace picked up the first card of the game when he tripped Hoilett to prevent a promising attack.
Ince tried his luck again after the Royals worked a nice move out wide, but his shot was comfortably held by the keeper.
The Lions searched to work a short corner and had a goalward
header vitally blocked by Tom McIntyre.
After a quiet spell in the match, there was some end-to-end action when Andy Yiadom worked to win a corner.
Millwall countered quickly after a disappointing delivery and Andy Rinomohta had to rush across to make a superbly timed sliding tackle. Luke Southwood was then called into action to tip the ball over the bar from Danny McNamara’s effort.
From the resulting corner, defending set pieces proved to be the scourge of the Royals once again as they conceded their 20th goal from a set piece this season.
Former Reading academy graduate Jake Cooper returned to haunt his former club when he towered above to power a header into the top corner to give Gary Rowett’s team the lead.
Reading looked for some spark in attack when Lucas Joao and John Swift traded passes but
Swift lifted his shot over the top as the half came to a close.
The second-half started with some hope for the hosts when Danny Drinkwater played a spectacular long ball to try and find Hoilett.
The ball dropped kindly for Joao who could have fired at goal but instead tried to beat the defender and eventually lost possession.
The bright start continued when Ince’s low drive was deflected behind for a corner.
Swift’s delivery found Joao at the near post who glanced his header inches over the top.
Reading saw plenty of the ball throughout the half but couldn’t create an opening and were almost caught out on the counter had it not been for an excellent block from Andy
Yiadom.
Ince didn’t make his first switch until the 79th minute when Ovie Ejaria came on in place of Hoilett.
He looked to create an instant impact down the left when he got into the box to deliver a ball across the face of goal but there was no blue and white hooped shirt on the end to convert.
With five minutes to go, Yakou Meite entered the action to replace Rinomhota.
There wasn’t enough time for the Ivorian to make a mark on the game as the Royals fell to defeat.
Reading are back in action on Saturday away at Nottingham Forest, kick-0ff 3pm.