Reading 1-1 Wigan Athletic: Meite snatches point to keep Royals survival hopes hanging by a thread

READING FC’s hopes of escaping the drop in the Championship took another hit despite Yakou Meite rescuing a point with a stoppage time equaliser.

The Royals’ hopes were on the ropes when Charlie Hughes put the Latics ahead with just 10 minutes left.

Meite bundled the ball home after a goalmouth scramble from a corner, but the point leaves Reading in a precarious position still in the drop zone and with other sides having games in hand.

Meanwhile, Wigan were relegated to League One courtesy of Meite’s late strike.

In front of a packed out crowd at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, both teams went into the contest in desperate need of points to try and get out of the relegation zone.

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With just two games to go, Noel Hunt’s team started the day in 22nd, a point behind Huddersfield Town who have a game in hand and face Cardiff City tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Latics had to pick up three points otherwise they would be relegated to League One a day after Blackpool succumbed to the drop.

Wigan looked destined to be relegated, but have managed to claw back some hope with two consecutive wins to keep them in the fight.

Shane Long was given the nod to start in attack alongside Lucas Joao in the absence of the suspended Andy Carroll, while Junior Hoilett also returned to the starting line-up.

In a tense opening 45 minutes, Reading dominated possession of the ball without being able to open their opponents up.

Tom McIntyre had the first effort on target with a tame effort that was easily held by Wigan keeper Jamie Jones.

The visitors responded when Charlie Hughes found space on the edge of the box to hit a strike that whistled just wide of Joe Lumley’s post.

After some tenacious work from Nesta Guinness-Walker to snatch the ball in Wigan’s half, Jeff Hendrick was unable to pick the killer pass.

Reading worked a short corner routine that ended with a dangerous delivery from Junior Hoilett that saw Josh Magennis put the ball behind.

The Royals’ best chance of the half fell for McIntyre as the ball dropped into his path after a long throw, but he thumped the ball high and wide on the half volley to see the chance go begging.

Another testing cross from Hoilett caused problems from a free-kick that took a nick off James McClean and evaded dropping into the net, instead going out for another corner.

Cesare Casadei looked to open the scoring with an audacious acrobatic volley that arrowed high over the top.

Lucas Joao came within a whisker of giving Reading the lead as Jones made a spectacular stop to claw his header off the line, but the offside flag was raised by the linesman.

The teams went into the break without the score being dented with it all still to play for.

The visitors started brightly after the restart when McClean blazed a half volley well wide before Magennis couldn’t convert a header at the back post and went down with an injury which saw him forced off and replaced by Danel Sinani.

Reading’s skipper Yiadom ventured into the box and kept calm to sell a dummy before his shot was blocked by a Wigan body .

Hunt made his first change of the game which saw him replace Long with Femi Azeez.

Lucas Joao showed his neat footwork in the box with a couple of twists and turns, but couldn’t prevent his effort from being blocked by the resolute Latics defence who continued to frustrate Reading.

The Royals boss made his second switch with just over 20 minutes remaining as Yakou Meite took Hoilett’s place.

Still pressing for an opener, Holmes wasn’t able to direct his header either side of the keeper from a Naby Sarr cross which left Jones with a simple catch.

Lumley had to keep cool to catch from Callum Lang’s volley after the Wigan midfielder found space and was unmarked in the box.

With a draw not good enough for either side, the deadlock was eventually broken in the 81st minute when the away side went in front.

A free-kick routine saw Hughes sneak in at the back post and head the ball past Lumley to all but condemn the Royals to the drop.

Hunt responded with two more changes as Amadou Mbengue and Tyrese Fornah replaced Guinness-Walker and McIntyre.

After nine minutes of added time were signalled, Reading responded. Meite scrambled the ball in after the keeper dropped from a corner to give Reading a lifeline.

But there was no winner for either side which meant Reading’s hopes of survival hang in the balance and is very much in the fate of others, while Wigan were relegated.