Wolves under-23s will have to wait until the final game of the 2020/21 season to see if they have done enough to earn a place in the Premier League 2 Division 2 play-offs following a heavy defeat on the road at Reading.
On a disappointing afternoon, Wolves made the worst possible start at Reading’s training ground, as straight from the kick-off, a long ball between the Wolves centre-backs by Ryan East found Jayden Onen in space, who picked up possession before launching a shot into the bottom corner and beyond the reach of Joe Young to give Reading an early lead.
The visitors tried to get back into the tie immediately, but the Reading back line was standing up stubbornly to the Wolves attack, but Lewis Richards attempted to go it alone when he found space on the left, only to flash his cross-come-shot well wide of the bodies waiting in the penalty area.
Reading came closest to notching a second and extending their advantage but found Young in fine form in the Wolves goal, with the keeper doing well at full stetch to keep a Femi Azeez effort from crossing the goalline. inding its w
Young was once again called upon to deny a clever Reading attack from f ay up in the back of the net, making a last-ditch dive to push the ball away. The Wolves keeper then had to be at full stretch to push a Claudio Osorio effort wide of danger.
The pressure from the hosts finally told in first-half added time, as another long ball wasn’t dealt with by the defence and a cross into the box found the boot of Azeez, but he could only poke the ball onto the post before it ricocheted back and deflected into the back of the net off Pascal Estrada.
Wolves began the second-half on the front foot, with Owen Hesketh coming close to halving the deficit, but his shot from the edge of the Reading penalty area was deflected narrowly wide of the post.
That was as good as it got for Wolves, who fell further behind just after the hour mark when East’s drilled effort from 20 yards was palmed away by Young, buy into the path of Tennai Watson, who slotted home from a tight angle at close range.
Although Wolves once again tried to get something from the game, with Taylor Perry attempting an effort on goal that once again deflected behind, Reading scored a quick double with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Azeez, who had been denied earlier in the match, was the scorer of both goals, firstly a mix-up in the defence saw Young lose the ball on the edge of the box allowed the Reading striker to lift the ball over his head and into an empty net.
The scoring was complete moments later with Azeez netting his second in as many minutes as he cut inside from the right before powering a left-footed strike underneath Young.
Despite the defeat, Wolves maintained their place in the play-off spots heading into their final match of the season, but with three sides closing in, know anything other than a win next time out might not be enough to extend their season.
COMING UP
James Collins’ side face Reading again a week on Monday as the under-23s face their final match of the Premier League 2 season at Aggborough. Once again, the match will be live on Wolves TV from 1pm.
REMAINING MATCH
10/05 Reading (H)
TEAMS
Reading: Boyce-Clarke, Watson, Dorsett (Luzon 46), Strickland, Samuels, Leavy (Holzman 75), East, Osorio, Camara (Lawless 65), Azeez, Onen.
Unused subs: Holden, Clarke.
Wolves: Young, Scott, Estrada, Marques, Richards (Mayounga 71), Hong Wan, Cundle, Perry, Hesketh, Campbell, Carty (Matheson 46).
Unused subs: Smith, Nya, Harkin.
