Daily Mail

A controversial 85th-minute penalty by Gylfi Sigurdsson sent Reading to their eighth League win in nine games and handed Queens Park Rangers boss Neil Warnock his first defeat.

Warnock appeared to be tearing his hair out, not only for the penalty awarded when Matt Hill appeared to trip Jimmy Kebe but also for the red card for QPR central defender Damion Stewart in the 44th minute.

Earlier Stewart had been cautioned for a clash with Shane Long before getting a second yellow for preventing a quick clearance by goalkeeper Adam Federici.

After the game Warnock was surprisingly stoical about losing, saying: 'I'm disappointed because I really enjoyed it. Damion's first yellow should never have been but the second was his own fault.

'As for the penalty, 90 per cent of referees would have given it though I didn't think it was. But if you hang your foot out there's always a chance it will be given.'

Reading boss Brian McDermott said: 'It was just a great result even if it wasn't beautiful.'

McDermott defended central defender Matt Mills who aimed the finger at Reading fans after they jeered him for a misplaced pass, saying: 'Don't forget that from our eight wins in nine games he's been involved in them all.'

The Sun

Neil Warnock blasted sent-off QPR defender Damion Stewart after Gylfi Sigurdsson's late penalty gave Reading victory.

Stewart's suicidal challenge on keeper Adam Federici as he cleared from the edge of his box earned him a second yellow card a minute before half-time.

Stewart had already been booked after a clash with Shane Long.

New Rangers chief Warnock, suffering his first defeat in four games, rapped: "The red card cost us.

"We defended really well. Damion's first yellow is never a booking in a million years. He never took his eye off the ball.

"But the second one was his own fault. What was the goalkeeper going to do other than kick the ball?

"He must have launched 100 kicks tonight so it was silly and he let his team-mates down.

"You don't always get what you deserve in football but we were the better side with 11 men.

"You won't often come to Reading and out-play them - but we did and I have learned a lot about the players tonight."

Royals were going nowhere fast in a game definitely not for the purists until full-back Matt Hill upended Icelandic whizzkid Sigurdsson, 20, in the 85th minute. He picked himself up to slot his 13th goal this season.

Sigurdsson is already attracting Premier League interest and the goal was the least he deserved following a versatile display, first as a support striker and then midfield mastermind.

Reading boss Brian McDermott admitted he was just happy to pick up three more points.

The home fans' expectations have been raised by the recent upturn in fortunes and were growing frustrated as the second half wore on.

But McDermott said: "I thought it was a good game. There were two honest sides out there both having a real go and we were fortunate to get the result.

"The crowd were getting restless but we were playing against a resilient side and it's not going to be easy to break them down but we saw it out in the end.

"We have won eight out of nine games now. It wasn't the most beautiful game of football but we got the result and that was what it was all about."

Warnock was remarkably calm about ref Gavin Ward's call to award Reading a penalty - although he did not agree with the decision.

He said: "At Liverpool, it's a penalty, at Reading it's a penalty.

"If you leave your foot out as a defender, you are inviting the foul.

"I thought it was the wrong decision but 90 per cent of referees would give it.

"But we had four or five opportunities when we could have gone down and you wonder whether I have to coach my players to start going down."

Warnock pleaded for more consistency - and said: "Reading full-back Andy Griffin was trying to hack Hogan Ephraim and nothing was done."

However, despite the defeat, Warnock was pleased with the overall performance.

And he added: "Overall I enjoyed that game.

"Reading are flying at the moment. Of course I'm disappointed but I've just told my lads you don't always get what you deserve in this game. I'm really proud of them."

Sigurdsson and Brian Howard went close for Reading early on and Federici denied QPR ace Adel Taarabt.

QPR duo Sigurdsson and Jobi McAnuff were denied by goalline clearances, before the Icelander sealed the win.

Daily Mirror

Neil Warnock was left frustrated after suffering his first defeat as QPR manager, as Gylfi Sigurdsson's late penalty secured victory for in-form Reading.

Sigurdsson rammed home from the spot to secure the win five minutes from time after Matt Hill had tripped the dangerous midfielder, a decision that proved the final straw for Warnock as he suffered his first reverse in five games as Rangers boss.

His side had looked comfortable against the division's in-form side, but Damion Stewart's idiotic red card on the stroke of half-time left Rangers battling out the second half with 10 men as Reading pressed for an eighth win in nine games.

"I'm disappointed and I think it's fair to say the red card cost us. It's hard enough playing against Reading with 11 men, let alone 10," said a surprisingly upbeat Warnock afterwards.

"You don't often come to Reading and outplay them but we did in the first half. With 11, we were the best side against a team that is really flying at the moment. I didn't think it was a penalty, but when you stick a leg out in the box you are asking for trouble. Even so, I learned a lot about my players tonight - there is certainly not much wrong between their legs!"

Warnock's ploy to stifle Reading's free-flowing style worked for much of the game as the previously free-scoring Royals were limited to long-range free-kicks in the early exchanges.

The in-form Sigurdsson drilled straight at Carl Ikeme after Matthew Connolly had tugged back the slippery Jimmy Kebe, then Kasper Gorkss' foul on Brian Howard led to Howard himself firing a left-foot free-kick agonisingly wide.

And Rangers should have been in front before Stewart's two bookings in 12 first-half minutes. Gorkss saw a header saved at point-blank range by Adam Federici, who was relieved to see Tamas Priskin blast the loose ball high from practically under the crossbar.

Then Federici, who looks a cert for Australia's World Cup squad this summer, stood up brilliantly to deny Jay Simpson in a one-on-one and was involved in the incident that changed the game on the stroke of half time.

Stewart, having already been booked following an aerial challenge on Shane Long, attempted to prevent Federici from launching a quick counter-attack, bundling into the keeper as he looked to kick clear to earn himself a second yellow card and leave his side facing more than half the game with 10 men.

"Damion played well and I thought the first booking was very harsh, but the second yellow card was silly, " said Warnock, adding: "What was the keeper going to do? Only kick it. He must have launched a hundred kicks during the game."

Even with 10 men, Warnock's resilient side looked to have survived as two remarkable goalline clearances frustrated Reading, Hill spectacularly denying Ryan Bertrand before Connolly performed heroics to keep out Jobi McAnuff's shot.

Reading's increasing long-ball tactics were not universally well-received by the home side, a section of the Madejski Stadium crowd apparently booing defender Matt Mills for continually looking to pick out Jimmy Kebe with high balls out wide.

Mills appeared to gesture to a section of the home fans and stormed off at the final whistle, bundling Reading assistant boss Nigel Gibbs out of his way as he made a hasty exit despite the jeers having turned to cheers.

"Obviously the crowd were growing frustrated and were edgy, but when you are up against a side as resilient as QPR were you have to try things," said Royals boss Brian McDermott. "I asked Matt to hit diagonal balls and he played a couple of great ones then hit a couple of stray ones that led to the crowd getting on his back.

"But at the end they were shouting his name. That's eight wins out of nine and he has been involved in all of them. What's important is that, as a group, we kept going and going and I'm sure the crowd have gone home very happy.

"Was it the most beautiful game of football? No it wasn't. But we needed the result and thankfully we got it. It was a really good game in terms of two very honest sides having a real go and we were fortunate enough to get there."