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Owls lose out in dramatic finale - MATCH REPORT AND SLIDESHOW
Sheffield Wednesday 1 Reading 2 WEDNESDAY matched one of the Championship's best teams in many respects last night and earned the respect of their manager Steve Coppell.
But it could barely ease the heartbreak of missing out in a controversial and dramatic finale.
The Owls had a Leon Clarke goal harshly disallowed in the 80th minute and saw Reading score their second goal in a contentious counter-attack a minute later.
Then in a last-gasp assault on the Royals' goal Richard Wood had a stoppage-time header miraculously cleared off the line, and a brilliant save from visiting keeper Alex Federici prevented a sensational equaliser by Owls shotstopper Lee Grant.
Reading boss Coppell had to admit to "great relief", saying: "It could have gone either way. It was so close.
"Credit to Wednesday. They could easily have got something. There was real desire on their part and commitment on my players' part. It was like two heavyweights slugging it out in the 15th round.
"There was a great stop on the line and then a great save by our goalkeeper."
Owls captain Richard Wood – recalled to the side last night – was left to reflect: "It was bitterly disappointing; we played very well against a top team and were very unlucky.
"I don't think we can blame the referee entirely. We were just unlucky. They took their two chances very well."
The outcome was in the balance for long periods after Wednesday began with the sort of confidence they showed in their 4-2 win at Burnley.
A lovely move ended with Federici advancing to smother the ball at Clarke's feet, and Michael Gray was not far off target with a free kick from 30 yards.
Despite wind-driven rain and slight waterlogging of the pitch there were also early glimpses of Reading's quality passing and movement, and good defending from the Owls, but the first chance was made by the Royals with ex-Sheffield United full back Chris Armstrong picking his way through the defence on the left side of the box and firing a low shot across goal.
A free kick given against Wednesday soon afterwards was both harsh and taken from the wrong place just outside the box.
Winger Stephen Hunt almost capitalised, hitting a dipping shot on to the top of the bar from 20 yards.
A lull in the action coincided with a cessation of the wind and rain but the Owls looked lively with a clearance by Grant being laid off by Marcus Tudgay to Gray and the winger miscuing a low effort across goal.
In first-half stoppage time Wednesday could have scored from a counter-attack after a Reading corner.
Sean McAllister played a quick ball forward to Leon Clarke and the striker had a chance to set Jermaine Johnson free but hit his pass at a defender.
The respite for Reading was brief. After less than the two extra minutes had been played the Owls snatched the lead.
Wood launched a high ball into the left side of the box, Tudgay sent a typical header down to Clarke in the middle, and the striker laid the ball back to McAllister, who smashed a super left-foot volley from 12 yards inside the keeper's right-hand post.
Wednesday knew that the visitors would come at them at the start of the second half.
Grant made a fantastic save with his left hand from a 25-yard-volley by right back Leroy Rosenior.
With pressure staying on, Gray needlessly headed the ball behind for a corner that was to prove costly. Marek Matejovsky's left-side kick was flicked on in the middle and found Kevin Doyle unchallenged at the far post to head his 18th goal of the season.
It was also his first in eight games and his team's first in five so the striker could not resist joining the Reading fans to celebrate and was booked as a result.
Ten minutes later Wednesday could have profited from a rapid raid as Johnson sent Clarke away down the left: the two-goal star of the Burnley game had Tudgay, McAllister and Johnson in support to his right but the final ball was wayward.
Then the Owls were again in trouble from a corner as centre back Michael Duberry bulleted a header just over the bar.
The equaliser had resulted in Reading playing with fresh self-belief. Laws sent on fresh legs in the 75th minute, James O'Connor for Darren Potter in midfield and Wade Small for Gray out wide.
The first controversy erupted after Clarke used his strength and speed to bustle past centre half Alex Pearce and smack the ball past Federici.
The linesman had flagged for a foul and the ref agreed. I could see no obvious infringement – nor could the crowd or a protesting Clarke.
A minute later centre half Michael Duberry launched into a fearsome tackle on James O'Connor in the centre circle; no foul was given, and it began a move that culminated in sub striker Shane Long slamming home a rising shot.
"Two one to the referee," sang the home crowd.
But that wasn't end of the drama. Grant decided to go up for a corner and stay there for a second one.
An O'Connor flag kick was headed powerfully down at the far post by Wood and kicked off the line when a goal had looked certain.
Then after a shot was knocked into the air, Grant got in a header of which a striker would be proud and Federici sprang to touch the ball away from his bottom left-hand corner, in the last of four added minutes.
The Owls goalkeeper said: "We have put in a good display and not been outplayed by one of the top teams.
"We can go into every game thinking it's one we can win.
"It's another tough test on Saturday (against Wolves]. We'll match them and see where that gets us."
Managers View
I don't want to give too much coverage to an official, I don't think he deserves any. The less we say about him the better.
I'm more concerned with the effort of the players. They put in a really hard shift against a really good side. At the start of the season I predicted automatic promotion for Reading and I haven't changed my mind.
They've haven't been firing on all cylinders but they've got goals in them. We had to be very strong defensively. We got a grip on the game as the game went on and got a goal. We moved the ball around well and had the better chances.
In the second half we knew they would throw everything at it, they had to get a result. They equalised from a corner, we should have dealt with it, that was disappointing for me.
There were some really harsh decisions. There were some real glimmers of good football from us, and glimmers of poor decision-making as well. Some of our short passing was poor on occasions.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
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