Reading 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Yann Kermorgant is Reading's leading scorer with nine league goals this term

Reading strengthened their Championship play-off hopes as they inflicted Wolves' fifth successive league defeat.

Yann Kermorgant deflected Liam Moore's shot past Carl Ikeme to put the hosts ahead, but just two minutes later Ben Marshall touched in Nouha Dicko's fine cross to level.

Paul McShane met John Swift's free-kick with an inch-perfect header to win it.

Wolves defender Mike Williamson was then sent off late on after his second booking for a block on Kermorgant.

• Relive Saturday's EFL action as it happened

Wolves, who are on their worst losing streak since April 2012, have now slipped to just one place and a point above the relegation zone.

They had done well to stifle Reading's passing game in a tame first half which brought no efforts on goal for the opening 40 minutes.

Wolves had the best chance moments before half-time when Ali Al Habsi clawed away a glancing header from Romain Saiss.

After the two early goals in the second half, Paul Lambert's side then carved out chances to go ahead, with Al Habsi at full-stretch to keep out George Saville's long-range strike and Dicko hitting the side-netting after being put through.

But McShane's late strike gave the Royals a 12th win of the season at the Madejski Stadium and they remain fifth, just a point behind fourth-placed Leeds United.

Reading manager Jaap Stam:

"We got the three points. I'm not happy with how we played but you can't have it all. We still need to learn and we still need to improve a lot.

"You've done well the whole season, you've been third in the league for a long time and it would be a shame not to end up in the top six.

"People around the club were talking about automatic promotion. But that's not going to happen. Even for us to end up in the top six, it's going to be very hard."

Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Paul Lambert:

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Wolves players still believe - Lambert

"If we keep playing the way we are, the law of averages tells you that it'll go for you. I feel a bit hard done by.

"That's the way things tend to go when you're down there. But, when you come through it, you'll be a stronger team for it.

"I've never known the players' confidence to drop. They're a really good group of guys, good people, good characters. We'll keep our heads up, keep our spirits up."

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Reading

• 26Al Habsi
• 2Gunter
• 5McShane
• 16Moore
• 24Blackett
• 4van den BergSubstituted forEvansat 71'minutes
• 23WilliamsBooked at 90mins
• 25PopaSubstituted forMeiteat 63'minutes
• 8Swift
• 7BeerensSubstituted forGrabbanat 63'minutes
• 18KermorgantBooked at 90mins

Substitutes

• 6Evans
• 11Obita
• 19Meite
• 31Jaakkola
• 38Kelly
• 50Grabban
• 54Mutch

Wolves

• 1Ikeme
• 18Iorfa
• 60WilliamsonBooked at 85mins
• 30Hause
• 8SavilleSubstituted forBödvarssonat 84'minutes
• 16CoadySubstituted forDohertyat 90+3'minutes
• 27SaissBooked at 90mins
• 4Edwards
• 17Hélder Costa
• 9DickoBooked at 66minsSubstituted forWeimannat 72'minutes
• 64Marshall

Substitutes

• 2Doherty
• 6Batth
• 19Price
• 21Lonergan
• 22Bödvarsson
• 26Enobakhare
• 63Weimann

Referee:

Andy Madley

Attendance:

18,629

Match Stats

Home TeamReadingAway TeamWolves

Possession

Home55%

Away45%

Shots

Home6

Away14

Shots on Target

Home3

Away5

Corners

Home2

Away6

Fouls

Home12

Away17

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Reading 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+5'

Second Half ends, Reading 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1.

Posted at 90'+4'

Attempt missed. Andreas Weimann (Wolverhampton Wanderers) header from very close range misses to the left. Assisted by Ben Marshall with a cross.

Posted at 90'+3'

Attempt missed. Lewis Grabban (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by John Swift.

Substitution

Posted at 90'+3'

Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Matt Doherty replaces Conor Coady.

Posted at 90'+1'

Attempt missed. Ben Marshall (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the left following a set piece situation.

Booking

Posted at 90'+1'

Danny Williams (Reading) is shown the yellow card.

Booking

Posted at 90'+1'

Yann Kermorgant (Reading) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 90'+1'

Foul by Yann Kermorgant (Reading).

Posted at 90'+1'

Hélder Costa (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Dismissal

Posted at 85'

Second yellow card to Mike Williamson (Wolverhampton Wanderers) for a bad foul.

Posted at 85'

Yann Kermorgant (Reading) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 85'

Foul by Mike Williamson (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

Substitution

Posted at 84'

Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Jón Dadi Bödvarsson replaces George Saville.

Posted at 79'

Corner, Reading. Conceded by George Saville.

Goal!

Posted at 78'

Goal! Reading 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1. Paul McShane (Reading) header from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by John Swift with a cross following a set piece situation.

Posted at 77'

Yakou Meite (Reading) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 77'

Foul by George Saville (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

Posted at 76'

Attempt missed. George Evans (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Lewis Grabban.

Posted at 75'

Foul by Chris Gunter (Reading).

Posted at 75'

Hélder Costa (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 74'

Attempt blocked. Ben Marshall (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Andreas Weimann.

Posted at 74'

Attempt saved. George Saville (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Conor Coady.

Substitution

Posted at 72'

Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Andreas Weimann replaces Nouha Dicko.

Posted at 72'

Attempt missed. Mike Williamson (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Kortney Hause following a corner.

Posted at 71'

Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Liam Moore.

Substitution

Posted at 71'

Substitution, Reading. George Evans replaces Joey van den Berg.

Posted at 71'

Foul by Joey van den Berg (Reading).

Posted at 71'

David Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 67'

Foul by Yakou Meite (Reading).

Posted at 67'

George Saville (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Booking

Posted at 66'

Nouha Dicko (Wolverhampton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 66'

Joey van den Berg (Reading) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 66'

Foul by Nouha Dicko (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

Posted at 64'

Attempt missed. Nouha Dicko (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Hélder Costa.

Substitution

Posted at 63'

Substitution, Reading. Yakou Meite replaces Adrian Popa.

Substitution

Posted at 63'

Substitution, Reading. Lewis Grabban replaces Roy Beerens.

Posted at 60'

Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Paul McShane.

Posted at 59'

Adrian Popa (Reading) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 59'

Foul by George Saville (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

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