Reading 2-0 Barnsley: Royals overcome nine-man Tykes
- Published
The controversial sending-off of Michal Helik just before half-time proved to be a turning point in the game
Reading beat nine-man Barnsley to record a first home Championship win since the end of February.
Barnsley's Michal Helik was harshly sent off shortly before half-time after Lucas Joao went down as he ran across the defender chasing a long ball.
Reading finally broke Barnsley's resistance when Yakou Meite stabbed home after a scramble from a corner and, a minute later, the Tykes had a second player sent off as Mads Andersen received a second yellow card for handball.
Michael Olise's lovely low volley from the edge of the box wrapped the game up for the Royals as the 18-year-old Frenchman scored his first senior goal after Barnsley failed to deal with a corner.
The Royals stay top of the Championship on goal difference having mirrored the score when they beat Barnsley in what was their last home league win on 29 February.
The Tykes, who have lost both of their league games this season without scoring a goal, were much the better side in the opening period and would have been ahead had Rafael Cabral not made an excellent save from Dominik Frieser's sixth-minute header.
The first red card proved vital, and was controversial, as Hilek appeared to have nowhere to go when Joao clipped his foot as the pair collided but, as last man, the referee felt the Polish defender had denied a goalscoring opportunity.
Reading could have made it three in stoppage time but Ovie Ejaria's shot was tipped around the post by Tykes keeper Jack Walton after the Royals man produced some good footwork to get into the penalty area.
Reading manager Veljko Paunovic told BBC Radio Berkshire:
"We're building our momentum, but we have to keep our feet on the ground and stay humble.
"The first half was very difficult for us, we played against a very good team, very organised, very intense and we matched that all in the first half, we just needed to push a little bit more.
"With the red card the game changed but we didn't convert early because we needed more time to adjust as the game was different.
"We benefitted from huge teamwork today, everyone played their role, everyone understood their role and sometimes adapted their role for the team as the game started to change.
"All that was very positive and I'm very happy with the start, but I'm very careful with expectations, I want everyone to know that the season is very long and this is just the beginning, a great beginning but this is just the beginning."
Barnsley manager Gerhard Struber told BBC Radio Sheffield:
"It was a tough game after the red card and the double-yellow card.
"The boys were very close together, we worked very hard against the ball, and I think from open play they had one big chance.
"This is disappointing today that we lost this game about set pieces, this hard to accept, but we had two players under and it was very difficult against a good team.
"We made a brilliant job on the ball, our match plan was very good, we had good transitions and good build-up and good counter-pressing moments, but in the end the red cards crashed our game today. "