Harper calls the tune for Royals

IVAR INGIMARSSON believes Reading have reached “the turning point” in their battle to avoid relegation after James Harper sealed a precious late win.

Harper fired home a Stephen Hunt cross with 90 minutes on the clock to end a dreadful run of eight Premier League defeats and grab the Royals’ first away win of the season.

Despite still sitting in the bottom three, Steve Coppell’s men are within touching distance of the teams above them and Ingimarsson knows the win will have given his teammates renewed confidence.

“This is hopefully the turning point,” he said. “When you lose eight games in a row it does affect people’s confidence on the pitch so I’m really proud that we’ve managed to stop that rot.”

Harper’s goal lit up a dire encounter which plunges Gareth Southgate’s Boro back into the relegation equation. They sit only four points clear of the Royals.

“It could have been 10 points between us but it isn’t,” said Southgate. “We had the better chances and in the last 20 minutes looked more likely to go on and win it, but got caught by a sucker punch.”

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2): Schwarzer 6, Young 6, Wheater 5, Pogatetz 5, Grounds 6, O’Neil 5, Boateng 4 (Johnson 74, 5), Arca 5 (Cattermole 59, 5), Downing 6, Alves 5 (Mido 68, 5), Tuncay 5.

Subs Not Used: Jones, Hines.

READING (4-4-2): Hahnemann 6, Rosenior 6, Ingimarsson 7, Bikey 6, Shorey 6, Oster 4 (Kitson 68, 6), Harper 7, Matejovsky 4 (Kebe 85, 5), Hunt 6, Doyle 6 (Cisse 85, 5), Long 6.

Subs Not Used: Federici, Sonko.

REFEREE: Howard Webb (South Yorkshire) 6: Brandished rather too many yellow cards but right to disallow Reading’s first-half goal.

MATCH RATING: * Desperate stuff. Boro seemed to have one eye on their FA Cup quarter-final, Reading were in survival mode.