Reds lose lead in draw with Reading

Cauley Woodrow was gifted a goal in comical circumstances early in the second half but the visitors levelled with 15 minutes to play. The last-placed Reds had the better chances throughout the game but had to settle for a draw which means they have won only two of their first 21 games this season. 

Gerhard Struber made one change from the side that lost at Cardiff City on Saturday, with Kenny Dougall coming in for the injured Aapo Halme at the base of a midfield diamond. 

Barnsley were on top for large spells of the first half and created the better chances but lacked conviction in front of goal. 

The Reds had the first real chance when right-back Jordan Williams raced into the box and pulled the ball back for Jacob Brown whose shot from 15 yards out went over when he should have hit the target. 

Mike Bahre then should have scored when he met a Woodrow cross six yards out with the goal gaping but, stretching to get to the ball, he seemed to use the outside of his foot and sent a tame effort straight at the goalkeeper.  At the end other, a long ball opened up the home defence and George Puscas went through but, with a team-mate free to his right as he rounded Sami Radlinger, he waited too long then was wayward with his pass. 

Mads Andersen headed over a Bahre cross before Alex Mowatt smashed a low shot just wide of the bottom right corner from the edge of the box. 

Reading’s first shot came in the 28th minute when Charlie Adam let fly from 25 yards and Radlinger sprang to his left to touch it wide. Veteran Adam had another effort from a similar distance which flew over the bar then Puscas then headed a left-wing corner far too high. 

Conor Chaplin had a huge chance just before the break when, after some good passing, he was put clean through on the right of the box but his shot from a tight angle was blocked by Brazil international goalkeeper Rafael who also gathered Brown’s weak 20-yard follow-up.

Reading had a fine chance to open the scoring on 56 minutes as Lucas Joao fed Jordan Obita in the box but he blazed over from ten yards out on the left. That seemed to spark the hosts into life and, after Mowatt had a long-range shot saved, they took the lead in bizarre circumstances. 

Reading had a clearance blocked in their area by Brown and the ball fell perfectly for Woodrow to fire in his eighth goal of the season. 

Adam then saw a free-kick saved by Radlinger who sprang to his left, but he was eventually beaten with 15 minutes left when a low corner from the right was only half-cleared and Joao found the bottom right corner from eight yards out. Ovie Ejaria had a shot easily saved by Radlinger in the 84th minute, but Barnsley finished on top. 

Substitute Patrick Schmidt got behind the home defence in the 90th minute but his shot from a tight angle on the right was kept out by the legs of the goalkeeper. Woodrow then kicked nothing but air when he ran onto the ball 15 yards out to meet Bahre’s pass then Schmidt lifted the ball kindly into the goalkeeper’s arms eight yards out after a good run by Sibbick. 

Barnsley: Radlinger: J Williams, Diaby, Andersen, B Williams (Sibbick 60mins); Dougall, Mowatt, Bahre, Woodrow; Chaplin, Brown (Schmidt 85). Unused: Collins, Thomas, Schmidt, Oduor, Thiam, Mottley-Henry.  Yellow cards: Sibbick, Dougall. Goals: Woodrow 58. 

Reading: Rafael; Morrison (Meite 75mins), Miazga, Moore; Gunter, Rinomhota, Adam, Obita (Blackett 82) ; Ejaria; Joao, Puscas (Baldock 65).  Unused: Walker, McCleary, Howe. Blackett, Pele.  Yellow cards: Morison. Goals: Joao 75.