Rumarn Burrell snatches victory for Burton in five-goal thriller against Reading

Rumarn Burrell scored a stoppage-time winner to earn Burton a thrilling 3-2 win over Reading.

It looked like the points would be shared after the Royals scored two goals in as many second-half minutes to haul themselves level through Michael Craig and Sam Smith.

But Burrell was in the right place to convert Owen Dodgson’s low centre and give Albion the win that lifts them to within three points of safety.

Burton hit the front after just 10 minutes, with centre-back Jack Armer finding himself in an advanced position on the left to swing in a cross that Burrell headed in at the near post for his third goal in four games.

Max Crocombe had to save smartly from Reading striker Harvey Knibbs, and the visitors were on top when Albion grabbed a second.

Dodgson’s free-kick from the right was headed goalwards by JJ McKiernan, with former Reading forward Jon Dadi Bodvarsson nipping in ahead of keeper Joel Pereira to fire home his fourth goal in three matches.

Knibbs saw a header come back off the face of the crossbar before Burton should have scored a third. Bodvarsson found McKiernan inside the six-yard box but his effort went wide of a post.

It looked to be a costly miss as Reading struck a quick-fire double to level, Craig firing in before Smith nodded home from close range, but Albion were not to be denied another morale-boosting victory.