Two injury time goals from Alex Pearce and Noel Hunt gave Reading a fantastic comeback at Portman Road this afternoon, after twice being behind. Josh Carson and Daryl Murphy goals seemed to have left no hope for the Royals before two crucial goals in injury time won it for Brian McDermott`s side.
Reading boss Brian McDermott made two changes to his side that lost at Cardiff last week, one forced and one enforced as Le Fondre is dropped and Mills misses out with injury. This then saw starts for Ian Harte and Simon Church who recovered from a knock picked up on international duty.
The visitors started off the better at Portman Road, putting pressure on Richard Wright`s goal with a dangerous Jimmy Kebe cross the only point of noting in the early exchanges. Former Arsenal player Emmanuel-Thomas had Ipswich`s better effort, cutting side Harte and just shooting wide.
Both sides realty struggled to get into the game in the first 30 minutes with Ian Harte possibly doing better from a Jobi McAnuff corner half-way through the half. Reading had another decent chance as Cummings cross for Noel Hunt who headed wide when he should have done better.
Ipsiwch started to come into the game in the final 10 minutes, with Michael Chopra coming very close with a shot that struck the post with his follow up dealt with by the Royals defence. Church then had a half-chance before both sides went in at half-time level.
The second period started in how the first half portrayed in that it was a scrappy affair. A Reading corner caused trouble in the Ipswich area as Noel Hunt flicked on a corner but to none of his teammates could react well-enough.
The home side then turned up the pressure as Keith Andrews hit a fantastic 20-yard free kick which Federici palmed away well. Another free kick was given away minutes later but the result was worse from a Royals perspective. Grant Leadbitter`s free kick was met by the towering Daryl Murphy to give Ipswich the lead.
There was not much of a Reading response with Ipswich controlling possession and Reading not really having a sniff. This however was to change in the 76th minute. It was almost a carbon copy to the Ipswich goal as a Harte looping free-kick was nodded home by Kaspars Gorkss for his first Reading goal.
However, just second later the home side were back in the lead. Good play from the kick-off allowed the ball to be played back to Josh Carson, whose shot look a massive deflection off goalscorer Gorkss and looped over despairing goalkeeper Adam Federici, to put the Tractor boys back in front.
Ipswich tried to push for that all important third goal to put the Royals to bed, with substitute Lee Martin drove down the left and fired in a shot but saved well by Federici. Paul Jewell`s side looked like they were going to come out with all three points before the Royals scored again.
Once again it was from an Ian Harte set piece but Gorkss` defensive partner Alex Pearce got on the scoresheet this time as his bullet header put the game level for a second time in the 90th minute. The game would take another incredible turn at Portman Road as the Royals walked out with the points.
Royals substitute Adam Le Fondre made a fantastic run before laying-off to his strike partner Noel Hunt to stroke home and send the Reading faithful into dreamland. The game finished 3-2 to the Royals, marking another fantastic trademark comeback under McDermott at Portman Road.
Ipswich: Wright, Edwards, Ingimarsson, Collins, Cresswell, Carson, Leadbitter, Andrews, Emmanuel-Thomas, Murphy, Chopra
Subs: Lee-Barrett, Wabara, Bullard, Martin, Scotland
Reading: Federici, Cummings, Pearce, Gorkss, Harte, Kebe, Leigertwood, Karacan, McAnuff, Hunt, Church
Subs: Andersen, Tabb, Robson-Kanu, Manset, Le Fondre
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