London: Reading capped a remarkable run of form by securing promotion back to the Premier League on Tuesday after a 1-0 victory at home to Nottingham Forest guaranteed a top-two finish in the Championship (second division).
Reading, who have taken 46 points from a possible 51 over their last 17 games, return to the top-flight four seasons after losing their place in 2008.
Fans flooded on to the pitch in celebration after a victory at the Madjeski stadium that moved Reading, beaten by Swansea in last season`s playoff final, on to 88 points from 44 matches, three ahead of nearest pursuers Southampton who won 3-1 at Peterborough.
"I`m delighted and It`s a great night for us. It was a tough game tonight," Reading manager Brian McDermott said.
"I couldn`t see too much good in losing that playoff final at Wembley last year but perhaps this is meant to be. I`m not even bothered about the Premier League tonight, I`m just concerned about the players and staff. It`s a night for the fans."
Southampton are poised to join Reading in gaining automatic promotion. The south coast club have a five-point advantage over West Ham United, who could only draw 1-1 at Bristol City on Tuesday, with two matches remaining.
The top two go up automatically and the next four teams go through to the promotion playoffs.
Mikele Leigertwood`s late goal gave Reading victory over Forest who could at least take some consolation in defeat. Results elsewhere meant former European champions Forest, in 19th place on 47 points, cannot be relegated.
Portsmouth (40 points), Coventry City (40) and already relegated Doncaster Rovers (33) occupy the bottom three places.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.