Royals late show sinks Canaries

Hunt: Celebrates opener

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Late goals kept Reading's automatic promotion challenge alive as they beat Norwich 2-0 in the Championship.

Stephen Hunt netted from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute after Canaries captain Mark Fotheringham was adjudged to have handled the ball.

Three minutes later substitute Shane Long headed his first league goal of the season to seal all three points for the Royals.

Norwich will feel aggrieved with the final result after they were arguably the better side in the first half and Reading were far from their imposing best.

The visitors coped better with the rain-sodden surface in the opening period and spurned two guilt-edged opportunities to score early on.

They should have taken the lead after six minutes but Darel Russell did not get a meaningful contact on Lee Croft's low cross when sliding into the six-yard box.

Glanced

Another Croft cross 10 minutes later presented Matty Pattison with an even clearer chance.

But the South African took his eye off the ball and glanced his header wide from six yards out as Adam Federici advanced from his goal.

They were the kind of chances on-loan striker Leroy Lita, ineligible to face his parent club, would have thrived on.

In between, Kevin Doyle poked Marek Matejovsky's low cross narrowly wide after getting in front of his marker at the near post.

Croft continued to cause Reading problems. He set-up David Bell midway through the first half but the midfielder headed straight at Federici.

Mis-hit

Reading's best chance of the first half arrived just before the half-hour mark when Ryan Bertrand's mis-hit clearance fell to Ivar Ingimarsson 12 yards out but the Icelander dragged his shot wide.

Ingimarsson again steered the ball wide following Stephen Hunt's low corner at the start of the second half.

There were few chances after that as the game looked to be heading for a goalless draw - until a handball was given against Fotheringham as he went in for an aerial challenge with Long.

Stephen Hunt's penalty was tipped on to the post by David Marshall but the Irishman's shot had enough power to take the ball into the net.

It was Hunt's seventh goal of the season and his fourth success from the spot. Long, a 79th-minute substitute for Noel Hunt, headed home James Henry's cross at the near post to ensure the win soon after.