Leeds United 0 Reading 0: match report
Simon Grayson insisted Leeds United’s bid for a return to the Premier League remains alive, despite seeing his team drop out of the top six for the first time since November after Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy’s stunning performance denied the home side a crucial victory.
McCarthy produced three reflex saves to frustrate the Championship’s 78-goal top scorers, who were knocked out of the play-off positions by Nottingham Forest’s dramatic late win at home to Leicester earlier in the day.
But with three games left to play, Leeds manager Grayson believes his team can now benefit from the pressure on those clubs ahead of them in the play-off pack.
Grayson said: “It’s disappointing to drop out of the top six because we wanted to stay there, but it’s where we finish in two weeks’ time that matters.
“We have a big game at Crystal Palace on Monday, but maybe the pressure is now on the teams above us because we are chasing them and they have to keep getting results.
“We couldn’t have done much more tonight, though, apart from the score a goal. We worked the goalkeeper and created chances, but the hardest thing in the game is putting the ball in the back of the net and we couldn’t manage that.” HavIng won just once in six games, Leeds began like a team searching for confidence, and Hal Robson-Kanu was denied a 12th minute opener for Reading by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
Leeds attempted to respond, but they laboured until Robert Snodgrass lifted the atmosphere on and off the pitch by forcing McCarthy into a stunning save from a close range header on 23 minutes.
McCarthy followed that by almost gifting Max Gradel a 37th minute opener when he fumbled the winger’s 25-yard shot before seeing it bobble harmlessly wide of his right-hand post.
But he replicated his earlier heroics in the second-half by pulling off a double save from Gradel and Snodgrass on 87 minutes to leave Leeds needing Forest to slip up in the final three games if they are to reclaim a play-off spot.
Reading manager Brian McDermott said: “Leeds played well and their fans stayed with them throughout the whole game, but we have kept a clean sheet and come away with a very big point.”