Reading 1-0 Middlesbrough: Alen Halilovic wins it with first goal for Royals

Reading midfielder Alen Halilovic's lucky defection wrongfooted both Boro keeper Joe Lumley and defender Lee Peltier

Reading midfielder Alen Halilovic got the only goal - his first for the club - as the Royals beat Middlesbrough.

Boro were out of luck as they were undone only by a fortuitous deflection and then had Matt Crooks very harshly sent off four minutes from time for an innocuous sliding challenge on home keeper Luke Southwood.

Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock confirmed afterwards that they would appeal against Crooks' dismissal.

But Boro remained a threat on the park and almost snatched a sensational late equaliser during the 12 minutes of injury time caused by a bloodied Junior Hoilett going down after a challenge from Paddy McNair.

Boro keeper Joe Lumley went up for a 101st-minute corner and, attempting an Alisson Becker moment, his header flew just wide of the left upright.

Halilovic's only previous goal in English football was a stunning late winner for Birmingham City against QPR in February. But this one was a thing of both beauty - and beastly luck for Boro.

Alen Halilovic's piece of good fortune brought the former Barcelona junior - the man once dubbed 'The Croatian Messi' - only his second goal in English football

Almost inevitably, it involved John Swift, the Championship's top assist maker and joint top scorer.

The former Chelsea youngster carved open Boro with a neat one-two before gliding a low right-foot cross into the path of the August signing.

But the finish was comical as Halilovic almost completely miscued with his right foot, but the ball cannoned into his standing foot, wrongfooted both Lumley and defender Lee Peltier, and trickled into the unguarded right-hand corner of the net.

Reading's four previous home games had brought a total of 18 goals. They had scored at least twice in all four and had not previously kept a clean sheet.

But, against a hardworking Boro side, they did at last achieve that.

The first half was poor, with only one Swift shot on target, although Reading did have a let-off when Isaiah Jones got right to the byline in only the third minute and delivered a neat left-wing cross met by the head of Crooks. But the goal was disallowed as an alert linesman ruled that Jones had taken the ball out of play.

There were more chances after the break but Hoilett's right-foot curler just over the bar was the closest either side came until those late 12 minutes of added-time drama when Boro camped inside the Reading box - both before and after Crooks' red card.

Boro host one of boss Warnock's old clubs, Sheffield United, on Tuesday, while Reading are back in action a night later at Derby.

Reading's win came in the wake of newspaper speculation that they are potentially facing a nine-point deduction for breaching EFL financial guidelines.

Reading manager Veljko Paunovic:

"I don't want to talk about this. It is out of my control. I don't control it.

"I don't want distractions. We are only focused on the things that we can control and that is our performance.

"Considering our circumstances with all the injuries, we keep rolling, we keep going, but with our feet on the ground. But the confidence is now restored and the belief is also there.

Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock:

"The referee [Peter Bankes] was in a terrible position. He said that he saw the tackle and then had advice from his linesman who was 45 yards away. A young linesman who looked about 18.

"The linesman said he saw Crooks go in for the ball with his studs high and endangering him [Southwood] so he immediately said 'red card' to the referee.

"Peter didn't have a very good second half and he was in a terrible position and he's listened to a young pup with a flag in his hand.

"It's terrible really. I've been in the game 42 years and this group of Championship referees at the minute is probably the worst I have ever come across.

"Honestly, if Matt hadn't have gone in for that challenge, I'd have probably fined him."