Reading 4-4 Swansea City: Incredible Royals comeback relegates Derby

Reading have lost only one of their last eight league games on Easter Monday

Reading produced an incredible comeback from 4-1 down to draw 4-4 with Swansea City and relegate Derby County.

A frenetic start saw Lucas Joao put the hosts ahead with a contentious penalty, before Hannes Wolf fired home to level and Joel Piroe curled home beautifully.

Piroe added his second with a penalty and Michael Obafemi grabbed a fourth goal as Swansea were cruising.

Tom Ince's volley and a second for Joao made it 4-3, before Tom McIntyre scored deep into stoppage time.

The thrilling draw in one of the most entertaining games of the campaign relegates Derby County after their defeat to Queens Park Rangers, as well as putting both Barnsley and Peterborough United on the brink of going down.

Reading came into the contest looking to confirm their Championship status after the boost of their dramatic 2-1 win at promotion-chasing Sheffield United on Good Friday, which saw them remain in 21st but with a seven-point cushion above the bottom three.

Royals boss Paul Ince made two changes from the side that earned that shock win at Bramall Lane, with Tom Dele-Bashiru and Junior Hoilett replacing Tom Holmes and Ovie Ejaria.

Swansea boss Russell Martin made one change from the Swans' 1-1 draw with Barnsley, Flynn Downes replacing Jay Fulton and almost making an immediate impact on his return.

However, Swans were a goal down before that, with Piroe adjudged - by the assistant referee who flagged instantly - to have fouled Josh Laurent, allowing Joao to score his ninth goal of the season from the spot.

The visitors shrugged off that disappointment, with Downes' fine run and pass creating space for Wolf, who curled the ball into the top corner of the net expertly.

If that goal was good, Swansea's second was even better as Piroe made amends for conceding a penalty as he curled home beautifully from outside the penalty area to score.

Swansea enjoyed a good period of controlled possession after they went ahead - and Wolf might have scored his second but hit the side-netting.

But Reading emerged more as the first half wore on and were unlucky not to level on 37 minutes when Hoilett's ambitious effort rattled the crossbar.

Hoilett, however, was then involved in an incident in the other penalty box as he barged into Obafemi in stoppage time, with referee Kevin Friend pointing to the spot for the second time, allowing Piroe to score his 20th league goal of the season as he found the bottom corner.

The third goal gave Reading a lot to do to rescue even a point, but Ince blazed over the bar just before the hour and moments later it was 4-1 as Piroe found Obafemi unmarked and he fired home, unchallenged.

Reading responded quickly and scored a second on 62 minutes when Ince volleyed home after Hoilett's delightful cross, and a real grandstand finish was ensured when Joao scored his second from close range as Swansea failed to clear.

The contest was increasingly end-to-end and Obafemi was within inches of making it 5-3 to Swansea, but he prodded wide after Wolf's cross, while Wolf shot over as Reading committed more and more players forward.

Swansea sub Olivier Ntcham hit the post in added on time and that miss proved to be massive when McIntyre popped up in the fifth minute of stoppage time, smashing home an unlikely equaliser and prompting wild Reading celebrations.

Swansea are 13th after the draw with their tiny play-off hopes now surely ended.

Reading boss Paul Ince told BBC Radio Berkshire:

"It's hard to comprehend how we came back against a good Swansea side.

"We still had belief at half-time we could get back into it, even at 3-1 down.

"We got a good goal to make it 4-2 and you could see it gave everyone belief.

"When we got the third goal, it was game on. It was push, push, push.

"When we got to 4-3 I thought we would get one or two chances… the fans spurred us on and it was an amazing day for us, an unbelievable effort from the players and the fans."

Swansea City boss Russell Martin told BBC Radio Wales:

"I am disappointed in the mentality of the team for the first time in a long time, 4-1 up… our intensity dipped.

"The game turned into a game that suited them more than and we allowed that to happen.

"We allowed the game to become a stereotypical Championship game and we're not very good at that.

"The mentality wasn't right for the last half an hour and for the first hour it was brilliant.

"We have to learn from this."