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:

"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."