Paul McShane’s header secured Championship play-off hopefuls Reading a much-needed 2-1 win over relegation-threatened Wolves at the Madejski Stadium.

After what was a woeful first half seriously lacking in quality, the game came to life just three minutes into the second when Danny Williams’ long-range effort ricocheted off striker Yann Kermorgant into the Wolves goal.

However, Paul Lambert’s men hit back just two minutes later when good work from Nouha Dicko saw him pick out a cross, with Ben Marshall sliding in between two Reading defenders to poke home a leveller.

The visitors had the better of the second period, with Conor Coady, Dave Edwards, and George Saville forcing saves out of Ali Al-Habsi, but it was Jaap Stam’s Royals who scored the all-important third goal 12 minutes from time when McShane headed home from a terrific John Swift free-kick wide on the right.

Wolves defender Mike Williamson was sent off late on to hinder the visitors’ hopes of getting back into it, and although Marshall fired a volley wide in injury time, Reading held on to a 19th league win of the campaign.

The result means that Reading remain fifth in the Championship, seven points clear of Fulham in seventh, while Lambert’s Wolves slip a place to 21st after a fifth straight league defeat.

In what was a largely forgettable first half, in which it took 38 minutes for the first shot of the game, it was Wolves who almost took the lead just before the break when Edwards’ downward header was brilliantly clawed away by Reading goalkeeper Al-Habsi.

The ball may well have gone over the line but it wasn’t given by referee Andrew Madley and his officials, and plaudits must go to Al Habsi for excellent reflexes to get down low and prevent the visitors from taking the lead.

There was little urgency in Reading’s play for much of the first half, yet it took them just three minutes to improve and indeed take the lead in the second.

Joey Van den Berg’s dummy found fellow midfielder Williams, whose scuffed effort from 25 yards was turned home by Kermorgant, although the Royals forward didn’t know too much about it as it struck him on the way through to give the hosts the lead.

However, that lead didn’t last long, as Wolves immediately responded when Dicko’s fine work down the right saw him get out a cross which was met by Marshall, whose effort trickled past the helpless Al-Habsi to bring the visitors level.

Wolves then seized the initiative and looked the more likely to get all three points, with only a fine save from Al-Habsi preventing Coady from giving Lambert’s men the lead six minutes later.

Edwards went close with a header but Reading started to have more of the ball in a bid to stem Wolves’ momentum, although Dicko continued to cause the hosts problems down the right, with McShane able to clear before Coady got a shot off.

Helder Costa and Dicko continued to cause the hosts, particularly Tyler Blackett, issues, with the former playing in the latter but over-hitting his through ball, meaning that Dicko could only fire into the side netting from an acute angle.

Yet it was the Royals who got the all-important third goal when McShane benefited from some lacklustre defending to head Swift’s brilliant free-kick past the helpless Carl Ikeme, in turn setting the hosts on their way to a crucial victory in their bid to finish in the top six.

Centre-back Williamson received a second yellow five minutes from time after bringing down Kermorgant to make things harder for the visitors, although they did have a chance late on when the ball dropped for goal-scorer Marshall from a free-kick, but he volleyed well wide of Al-Habsi’s goal.

In what was a frantic game at the Madejski Stadium, here are FIVE things we learned from Reading’s 2-1 victory over Wolves…

Extra bit of quality tells for Reading

Wolves were much the better side after they got the equaliser five minutes into the second half, but they weren’t clinical enough when on top.

Coady forced Al-Habsi into a fine save six minutes after levelling things up, but other than that, they didn’t make the Reading keeper work enough for the territory and opportunities they put themselves in, with Edwards and Dicko both guilty of getting in good positions, only for the end product to let them down.

And that’s where Reading’s quality ultimately told.

Swift’s free-kick was excellent, right on McShane’s head and, although the defending was questionable, the delivery wasn’t.

It was that moment of quality which won Reading the game on Saturday, and has thus strengthened their position in the Championship play-offs.

Wolves’ display merited positive result

There wasn’t much to choose between the two sides in the first half, with Wolves doing a good job of allowing Reading to have possession in their own half, before closing down the space every team the hosts tried to come forward.

However, Lambert’s men were excellent in the second period, especially given that they went behind just three minutes into it, with their pace down the flanks and tenacity in the middle of the park rattling and disrupting the hosts – in fact, it only looked like one side were going to win it for much of the second period.

Marshall netted once and should have done better with a volley late on, while Edwards’ first half header was brilliantly saved by Al-Habsi, yet his effort in the second half was easy for the Royals keeper.

Coady and Dicko both went close, with the former forcing Al-Habsi into a decent save, and they were undone by the sucker punch late on in a game that they looked to be getting at least a point out of.

The result was harsh on Lambert’s men, but that was a fifth successive league defeat for his side, who need to get out of this rut fast if they are to remain a Championship team come next season.

Costa and Dicko can keep Wolves up

Both Helder Costa and Nouha Dicko caused Reading countless issues in the second half, with left-back Tyler Blackett in particular struggling to deal with their pace and link-up play.

It was Costa who dispossessed the Reading defender before his first-half effort was deflected wide, and it was from that corner that Edwards almost gave the visitors the lead from.

And, unsurprisingly, it was Dicko who was involved in their equaliser, with his fine work down the right ending with a superb cross across the six-yard box, from which Marshall turned home the leveller.

Those two in particular showed enough attacking intent and creativity in the second half to suggest that they can get the goals needed for Wolves to stay up this season.

Huge question marks over Blackett

Reading fans have bemoaned the performances of left-back Tyler Blackett for much of the campaign, and they have another one to add to that collection.

The former Manchester United man seriously struggled throughout against Helder Costa and Nouha Dicko when he ran the channels, with the defender caught in possession in the first half which led to Costa motoring forward towards goal, only for Blackett’s fellow defenders to bail him out.

The second half saw Blackett improve slightly, but much of Wolves’ best stuff came down the Reading left.

Question marks remain about the Royals left-back, especially with the capable Jordan Obita waiting in the wings.

Things are tough when you’re at the bottom

Wolves boss Lambert was far from happy with some of the decisions made by referee Andrew Madley during Saturday’s game.

Edwards looked to have given Wolves the lead in the first half when his downward header was heading towards the bottom corner, only for Al-Habsi to claw it away, arguably from behind the line.

Lambert was also unhappy with the Reading second goal, citing offside, yet it clear’s that when you’re at the bottom, things don’t always go your way, and you need a bit of luck to get the results your performances sometimes merit.

Nonetheless, it is results that Wolves need, and although the performance was good at the Madejski Stadium, they ultimately came away with nothing.