Sheffield Wednesday staged a remarkable second-half fightback to keep their
mini-revival going with victory over promotion hopefuls Reading.
The Owls had a woeful first half and went in 2-0 down after goals from Nicky
Forster and Martin Butler, but Alan Quinn clawed one back just after the restart
and following Gerald Sibon's equaliser, on-loan Allan Johnston struck the
winner.
It was Wednesday's third victory in their last four league games and lifted
manager Chris Turner's hopes of saving his home-town club from the threat of
relegation.
Reading got away to a perfect start when the unmarked Forster - recalled to
the starting line-up in place of top-scorer Jamie Cureton - took advantage of
woeful defending to head Graeme Murty's right-wing cross into the net after nine
minutes.
They made it two 10 minutes later when Sammy Igoe's pass sliced through the
Wednesday defence for Butler to beat advancing goalkeeper Kevin Pressman.
There was little sign of the drama to come when the teams went in at
half-time, but Quinn gave Wednesday hope after 52 minutes when he drilled a shot
past Marcus Hahnemann after Derek Geary's deep cross was knocked into his path
by Shefki Kuqi.
Kuqi provided the lay-off for Sibon to shoot low into the net from 25 yards
for the 69th-minute equaliser, and two minutes later on-loan Middlesbrough
midfielder Johnston sent the crowd wild when he fired a 25-yard shot past
Hahnemann for the third.
It was an amazing turnaround as Reading had looked much the better team in the
first half and Wednesday keeper Pressman was one of the busiest players on the
field.
Boss Turner made five changes from the team thrashed 4-1 by Gillingham in the
FA Cup in midweek, but 25 minutes had gone before the Owls could produce any
sort of threat, Trond Egil Soltvedt's long-range effort sailing over the
crossbar.
Sibon and Kuqi then both missed the target with shots from inside the box.
But the lively Forster went close to another Reading goal and James Harper
fired in a 20-yarder that Pressman tipped round the post as the visitors pressed
for a third.
Reading soon showed their teeth in the second half and Murty struck a 25-yard
shot that Pressman saved, but they were buried under the Wednesday deluge and
though they staged the inevitable rousing finish, Butler could only fire wide
from 20 yards as the seconds ticked down.
Teams
Sheff Wed: Pressman, Crane (Maddix 45), Westwood, Geary, Monk,
Soltvedt, Quinn, Green (Knight 83), Johnston,
Sibon (Di Piedi 86), Kuqi.
Subs Not Used: Evans, Haslam.
Booked: Geary.
Goals: Quinn 52, Sibon 69, Johnston 71.
Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey (Henderson 81), Mackie,
Brown, Igoe, Harper, Tyson (Salako 64), Newman (Hughes 87),
Butler, Forster.
Subs Not Used: Viveash, Cureton.
Booked: Mackie.
Goals: Forster 9, Butler 19.
Att: 17,715
Ref: A Penn (W Midlands).
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