Reading 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1: Carlos Carvalhal confident Owls will grow stronger

Sheffield Wednesday's head coach Carlos Carvalhal believes that his side can improve over the closing stages of the campaign.
Sheffield Wednesday head coach Carlos Carvalhal.Sheffield Wednesday head coach Carlos Carvalhal.
Sheffield Wednesday head coach Carlos Carvalhal.

Wednesday retained sixth place, and a play-off spot, with a hard-earned draw at the Madejski Stadium.

“I reckon that we can be more strong in the second half of the season,” said Carvalhal. “We are in a much better position than at the start of the season and we are winning a lot of points. So let’s see what we can do.

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“We are outsiders for the sixth place, but we are still in a very good position.

“The result wasn’t what we liked or what we wanted, but it’s the reality. Reading had much more of the ball, but we controlled the game. We always expected to create on the counter-attack.”

Wednesday had been in good form before their trip to Berkshire, winning six of seven matches in all competitions, including their previous four on the bounce.

They started well with Barry Bannan striking a post with a low drive, before going ahead in the 10th minute. Good build-up work on the right gave Gary Hooper time and space to score his fifth goal in three matches.

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For Hooper, signed permanently on Friday after playing on loan from Norwich City since October, it was his seventh goal in 13 league appearances for the Owls.

Reading could have been level in the 24th minute after Matej Vydra was brought down by Glenn Loovens. But although Vydra’s spot-kick was struck fiercely, it thumped into goalkeeper Keiren Westwood’s left-hand post and rebounded to safety.

Reading still responded positively and were finally rewarded in the 74th minute when centre-back Jake Cooper nodded home powerfully from Oliver Norwood’s corner.

Reading: Al Habsi, Gunter, Ferdinand, Cooper, Obita, Evans (John 65), Norwood, Williams, Piazon (Kermorgant 46), Vydra, Robson-Kanu. Unused substitutes: Bond, Taylor, Hector, Cox, Keown.

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Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Hunt, Sasso, Loovens, Pudil, Hutchinson, Lee, Wallace (Helan 78), Forestieri (Lucas Joao 71), Bannan, Hooper (Nuhiu 85). Unused substitutes: Palmer, Semedo, Bennett, Price.

Referee: S Martin (Staffordshire).

Man of the match: Gary Hooper.