Reading 1-0 Barnsley: John Swift strike moves Royals closer to top six
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John Swift fires the ball past Michal Helik and into the Barnsley net
John Swift scored his eighth goal of the season as Reading moved closer to the top six with a home victory over struggling Barnsley.
The visitors produced one of their best displays of the campaign, but suffered their fourth loss in a row and have now gone 10 games without a win.
Tom Dele-Bashiru had the ball in the net in the first half for Reading, but his effort was ruled out for offside, while Cauley Woodrow twice forced good saves from Luke Southwood in reply.
The Tykes went close when Callum Brittain hit the post after the break, but Scott Dann - making his first league start for Reading and the 400th of his career - produced the pass which set up Swift to secure the three points.
Reading moved up three places to seventh, just one point below the top six - and are now unbeaten in nine league meetings with Barnsley, who stay 22nd.
The visitors were without Callum Styles and Liam Kitching because of injury but more than held their own in the first half, principally through the efforts of skipper Woodrow, who was narrowly wide with one free-kick and forced Southwood to palm away with another, as well as testing the keeper with a 25-yard shot in open play.
Reading almost snatched the lead just before the break, though, as Dann's header from a Swift corner was well saved by Brad Collins.
Brittain thumped the foot of the upright with Barnsley's best effort, but Collins had to produce another fine save to keep out Baba Rahman's effort from distance.
However, Collins could do nothing about Swift's shot after the midfielder cut inside after receiving Dann's angled ball on the left wing as Reading snatched their sixth win of the season and piled further pressure on Tykes boss Markus Schopp.
Reading boss Veljko Paunovic:
"It was a fantastic pass from Scott Dann (for the goal) and an amazing execution from John. It was a well-deserved win and the team worked really hard and was really mature.
"It was a very good job done, another clean sheet, another positive thing, and our confidence and mentality is being reinforced again.
"That's my read of the game, even though Barnsley made it tough for us. In terms of physicality, that was one of our toughest games."
Barnsley head coach Markus Schopp told BBC Radio Sheffield:
"To get there (in position to score) is one thing but to finish is another. We all know how it works in football, sometimes you start scoring and you don't know why, but it is hard work to get there.
"I am the manager, I try my best every day and I will do that as long as possible because I am really sure we are developing in a (right) way that's probably not seen with the results, but a couple of young players are making big steps forward and when a couple of other guys come back, we will be on a high level."