Reading Strengthen Play Off Chances

Last updated : 17 April 2017 By Footy Mad - Editor

Joseph Mendes scored twice as Reading tightened their grip on a play-off place with victory over Aston Villa.

The striker marked his full league debut with a brace in a 3-1 win to lift the Royals - who recovered from last week's 7-1 thumping at Norwich - to fourth in the Sky Bet Championship.

Mendes, signed from Le Havre last summer, had previously made just nine substitute appearances in the league with his only other goals coming for the club's Under-23 side in the Checkatrade Trophy.

Lewis Grabban's second-half penalty sealed victory although James Chester did equaliser for mid-table Villa.

Reading leapfrogged Leeds and are now six points clear of seventh-placed Fulham ahead of Monday's visit of already-relegated Rotherham.