INCREDIBLE COMEBACK
READING FC took another stride towards Championship safety after they completed an unbelievable comeback against Swansea City.
In a frantic opening to the game with three goals in the opening 12 minutes, Lucas Joao gave Reading the lead from the penalty spot after three minutes.
Two stunners from Hannes Wolf and Joel Piroe fired Swansea in front before Piroe added his second from a penalty on the stroke of half-time.
The goals kept coming in the second-half and the Royals recovered from 4-1 down to claw the game back to 4-3.
With the game headed into stoppage time, Tom McIntyre ensured the unlikely comeback was complete when he smacked the ball past Fisher to make it 4-4.
The result leaves Reading seven points above the relegation zone with three games left to play after Peterborough United beat Barnsley.
It was a manic start to proceedings as the game blossomed into life quickly on a warm Easter Monday afternoon in Berkshire.
There were three goals in the opening 12 minutes which saw Reading strike first.
Danny Drinkwater clipped a ball into the box to find the run of Josh Laurent and he was clipped in the box, the linesman waved for a foul after the referee had initially denied the protests for a penalty.
Lucas Joao stepped up confidently to the spot and stroked the ball past Andy Fisher to get the game off to a lively start.
But it didn’t take long for the Swans to hit back and they were level within three minutes of the opener.
The ball was worked out wide to the left and Hannes Wolf opened up his body and curled a beauty beyond Orjan Nyland into the top corner.
Piroe didn’t pass up his next opportunity which was trickier than the one he missed a few moments prior.
He left Nyland helpless in his goal as the Swans striker struck his 19th league goal of the season by sending a thunderous shot into the top left hand corner.
Tom Ince was the first player to go into the book after he flew in late on Joel Latibeaudiere
The Royals came close to creating an opening when the ball dropped for Junior Hoilett who tried to feed Laurent in on goal, but he was denied by the offside flag.
Hoilett came an inch away from scoring the game’s third
stunning goal when he was found 25 yards from goal from Joao and his stunning effort dipped, but not quite enough as it bounced off the crossbar.
On the stroke of half-time, Russell Martin’s team were given the chance to extend their lead after Hoilett fouled Michael Obafemi in the box.
Piroe dispatched the spot-kick low into the bottom right corner to beat Nyland despite the keeper guessing the right way.
But the Royals were punished when Swansea had their first sight of goal of the half.
Obafemi was allowed far too much space to get through the middle and he made no mistake with his finish which he placed powerfully past Nyland.
Ince ensured that the deficit was reduced just a few minutes later when he volleyed in from close range after meeting Hoilett’s cross.
The chances kept coming when Joao had a sniff at goal when he unleashed a shot on the volley following a free-kick that sailed over the bar.
The game took another dramatic twist with 20 minutes left to play as Reading gave themselves hope of completing a comeback when Joao scrambled the ball in from close range to make it 3-4.
Swansea had the chance to wrap the points up in added time but Obafemi’s shot from a narrow angle smacked the crossbar.
Deep into stoppage time, Reading completed what looked to have been an impossible comeback at 4-1 down as McIntyre popped up with a goal beyond the 90th minute for the second match running to send the Royals fans into ecstasy.
The results means that the Royals are seven points above the drop zone with three games left to play, while Derby County were relegated to League One after their loss at QPR.