JOHN SWIFT guided Reading to three points with a superb solo goal to see the Royals beat Barnsley at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Both sides created half chances throughout the match but were frustrated for the opening three quarters of the game as it stayed level.
However, Swift popped up with a moment of magic in the 77th minute as he notched his eighth Championship goal of the season.
There were still a host of injuries for Veljko Paunović to contend with, however he did have the luxury of selecting two natural centre halves as captain Liam Moore and Scott Dann started as the middle pairing.
The visitors nearly had an early sight of goal when Aaron Leya Iseka looked to pull the trigger from just outside the box but Dann slid in and got enough on the ball to not give away a free-kick and snatch the chance away from Barnsley.
Andy Yiadom showed a superb turn of pace down the right-wing to drive into the box against his former club as he won the Royals their first corner of the match.
Reading issued a high press in Barnsley’s half to put them under pressure as George Puscas chased down the ball before Danny Drinkwater slid in with a committed challenge to lift the atmosphere of the crowd who responded.
The Tykes looked a threat on the break as Callum Brittain escaped the challenge of Ovie Ejaria and found Victor Adeboyejo out wide who fizzed in a dangerous low cross that missed everyone in the middle.
Tom Dele-Bashiru picked out the run of Ejaria through the heart of the Barnsley defence with a beautifully threaded through ball, but the Royals midfielder could only produce a tame effort on the turn that was easily saved.
Cauley Woodrow tried his luck on two occasions in quick succession as his 30-yard free-kick hit the side netting to the relief of Luke Southwood, before he tested the Royals keeper with a powerful drive that was pushed behind.
Reading had the ball in the back of the Barnsley net in the 27th minute only to be denied by the offside flag as Dele-Bashiru poked the ball past the onrushing keeper but to no avail as it was ruled out.
John Swift showed his precision with a through ball to find Baba Rahman who was fouled just as he was about to enter the box as Brittain was cautioned.
Swift took the resulting free-kick only to place his cross straight down the throat of Bradley Collins.
Woodrow continued to look lively in attack for the away side as he sent in an inviting cross for Leya Iseka but he steered the ball high and wide on the volley.
Woodrow continued his personal battle with Southwood but the Royals keeper pulled off another smart stop as he got down low to his right to block the Tykes striker’s free-kick.
Reading’s clearest chance of the half cme just two minutes before the break as Swift whipped in a brilliant delivery from the corner that was met by the jump of Dann but Collins made an important reactionary save to keep the scores level.
Barnsley started the second-half strongly as Brittain rattled the frame of the goal with a well connected volley at Southwood’s near post.
They forged another big chance when Adeboyejo exchanged passes with Woodrow in the box but hit a weak shot at Southwood.
Yiadom made a crucial tackle to prevent Adeboyejo from breaking through the middle before Laurent spotted the keeper off his line and tried an optimistic effort from distance that he managed to get on target, but it was caught comfortably.
Barnsley looked to get in front when they got on the front foot but Dann got in the way on two occasions with important blocks.
Paunović made his first change in the 63rd minute as Femi Azeez returned to action after injury to replace Pușcaș up top.
Azeez had a big chance to break the deadlock when he was sent through on goal by Swift but he opted to take a couple of extra touches to get the ball onto his left foot that allowed Barnsley to snatch the ball from him.
Rahman tried an effort from distance and hit a fierce strike that took a small deflection on the way through before Collins dove to his left to keep it out.
On the opposite wing, Yiadom got forward and placed a perfect ball across the face of goal but there was no Reading body there to apply a finishing touch.
But in the 77th minute, Reading’s talisman Swift broke the deadlock with a moment of magic.
He made his way into the box from the left as he drifted past a defender before he feigned to shoot to trick his way past the keeper and converted the ball into the empty net.
Barnsley applied pressure in the closing stages of the game to try and rescue a point but the Royals held on to earn three points and a clean sheet.
The win puts Reading up to seventh in the table before they face Blackpool at home on Wednesday.
Reading: Southwood, Rahman, Moore (c), Dann, Yiadom, Laurent, Drinkwater,Dele-Bashiru, Ejaria, Swift, Pușcaș
Subs: Rafael, Ashcroft, Osorio, Camara, Azeez, Clarke, Ehibhatiomhan
Barnsley: Collins, Sibbick, Helik, Moon, Brittain, Williams, Palmer, Gomes, Leya Iseka, Woodrow (c), Adeboyejo
Subs: Walton, Cole, Frieser, Vita, Hondermarck,Williams, Oduor
Goals: Swift 77′
