Jalo rescues point

Teenage substitute Fabio Jalo’s first ever league goal rescued a point for Barnsley in a 2-2 draw at home to Reading.

The fifth-placed Reds are five points clear in the play-off places and need three points from last three games to make sure they are in the semi-finals.

The visitors took the lead but Adam Phillips levelled in first half. Reading scored a superb second with ten minutes left but the impressive Jalo levelled almost instantly.

Barnsley were poor in the first half but improved after the break and showed character to level twice.

Luca Connell was left out due to a minor injury and replaced by Herbie Kane. Devante Cole replaced Sam Cosgrove up front while Corey O’Keeffe came in for Jamie McCart and Jordan Williams returned to the back three.

The hosts started fairly brightly, with Nicky Cadden inches from turning in an excellent Jon Russell cross. But they then began to lose the ball regularly in their half and look very nervous.

Liam Roberts’ poor kick was intercepted by Femi Azeez but under, pressure from Josh Earl, he touched the ball out of play.

Paul Mukairu burst through the Barnsley defence on the left of the box then Roberts made a good one-on-one save from a tight angle.

Cadden shot well off-target from a McAtee cross, the effort hitting Phillips and going wide.

After Earl lost the ball and Reading won a corner on the right, the set piece was headed home by Sam Smith from close range.

McAtee’s deep cross from the left was volleyed at the back post by O’Keeffe and turned wide by the goalkeeper. From the resulting corner, Earl shot tamely wide.

Barnsley levelled when McAtee stood up a cross from the left and Phillips headed in his tenth goal of the season from close range.

Russell had to come off injured and Fabio Jalo replaced him, the teenager playing in attacking midfield behind the strikers.

Mukairu again went through on the left of the box but again was denied at a tight angle by Roberts one-on-one.

Roberts then impressively kept Clinton Mola’s header from a free-kick out of his bottom left corner just before the break.

Reading brought on former Barnsley goalkeeper David Button at half-time for Pereira who sustained a first half head injury.

Barnsley were improved in the second half and almost took the lead on 65 minutes. After O’Keeffe brilliantly won the ball on the right and beat a man, he found Jalo whose scuffed shot went to Cole five yards out but his backheel was straight at Button.

Smith should have had his second of the game but slipped when shooting eight yards out, and the ball went wide, after Jalo lost the ball and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan beat Mael de Gevigney.

Ehibhatiomhan then dragged a shot wide from distance and slipped in the box when shooting with the effort going well wide.

Reading took the lead on 80 minutes through a superb long-range strike by Wing into the top left corner.

But Jalo levelled within two minutes as he headed home a long throw by fellow substitute Barry Cotter.

Azeez almost replied instantly when the home defence was cut open again but curled wide of the bottom left corner inside the box.

Jalo nearly scored a second but shot against the left post after being played in on the left of the box.

Phillips and McAtee shot just over from distance while Reading’s Harvey Knibbs headed onto the roof of the net from a corner.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Roberts; Williams, de Gevigney, Earl; O’Keeffe (McCart 79mins), Kane, Russell (Jalo 34), Phillips, Cadden (Cotter 73); Cole, McAtee.

Unused: Killip, Cosgrove, Grant, Watters.

Yellow cards: Phillips.

Goals: Phillips 29, Jalo 82.

Reading (4-2-3-1): Pereira (Button HT); Mola, Bindon, Mbengue, Abrefa; Elliott (Savage 74mins), Wing; Azeez, Knibbs, Mukairu (Ehibhationhan 60mins); Smith. Unused: Button, Wareham, Craig, Rushesha, Ryan.

Goals: Smith 21, Wing 80.