Reading of England summer signing on loan from Watford, Tom Dele-Bashiru returned to the spotlight in dramatic fashion on Tuesday, as he got two goals for The Royals in their latest fixture of the English Championship.
Megasportsarena.com reports that Dele-Bashiru, who failed to hold down a regular spot with Watford, netted twice as Reading secured only their second win of the season with a 3-1 home victory over fellow strugglers Peterborough United.
In a drab first half, Reading were fortunate not to be behind and were grateful to rookie goalkeeper Luke Southwood for making stunning saves to deny Siriki Dembele and Ollie Norburn.
Reading opened up a 2-0 lead midway through the second half with goals from John Swift and Dele-Bashiru in the space of three minutes.
Peterborough halved the gap through a Nathan Thompson header but Dele-Bashiru pounced again with two minutes remaining.
Peterborough, who lost 6-2 at Sheffield United on Saturday, started the brighter but, when Jonson Clarke-Harris tried his luck from a free-kick, the defensive wall held firm.
Reading gradually worked their way into contention, with Dele-Bashiru attempting an ambitious curling shot that Peterborough goalkeeper Christy Pym gathered comfortably.
Swift thundered home a 25-yard free-kick to notch his seventh goal of the season, after which Dele-Bashiru latched on to a George Puscas cross to lash in his first goal for the club.
Peterborough reduced the deficit seven minutes later, when Thompson nodded in decisively at the far post from Joe Ward’s free-kick, but Dele-Bashiru stepped up again in the 88th minute, another fiercely struck effort whistling past Pym.
Bournemouth striker, Dominic Solanke also scored in the English Championship, as The Cherries climbed up to second on the table, after beating Queens Park Rangers 2-1 in an entertaining clash at Vitality Stadium.
Scott Parker’s team were gifted the lead after 12 minutes, when Jaidon Anthony picked Rob Dickie’s pocket and struck his second goal of the season, before Dominic Solanke doubled the advantage with his fifth goal in as many games 25 minutes later.
Sam McCallum’s close-range finish halved the deficit with more than half an hour to play, but despite a raft of late chances, Rangers were unable to salvage a point, ending their unbeaten start to the campaign.
As a result, they drop to sixth, while Bournemouth are kept off top spot by West Brom, who were held to a surprise goalless draw by Derby at The Hawthorns.
Also Tuesday in the Championship, Semi Ajayi was in the spotlight with West Bromwich Albion, as they settled for a goalless draw with Derby County, who frustrated their hosts at The Hawthorns.
Ajayi and the Championship league leaders dominated proceedings and really should have buried Wayne Rooney’s side after missing numerous chances and forcing several saves from goalkeeper Kelle Roos.
It was Roos who preserved Derby’s clean sheet at the death when he blocked Darnell Furlong’s diving header and Albion initially went desperately close to taking a ninth-minute lead from a slick short corner routine.
Ajayi’s shot was hacked off the line by former Albion centre-back Curtis Davies after Alex Mowatt found Grady Diangana, got the return and crossed for Karlan Grant.
Diangana’s volley was deflected wide after Furlong headed back Mowatt’s deep cross before Mowatt’s corner was punched away by goalkeeper Roos, who appeared to be targeted by the home side from their corners.
Furlong was in the thick of things and his header was deflected over the bar from Callum Robinson’s cross before his curling free-kick was pushed away by Roos diving to his left.
Hugill had the first opening following the restart when his rising, angled drive sailed high and wide, after which Reach then created headed half-chances for Ajayi and Furlong but both efforts floated off target.
Albion missed two excellent opportunities in the 58th minute. Diangana fired too close to Roos from a one-on-one then Furlong chipped over from the rebound.
The pressure from the home side was relentless and Phillips, sliding in, failed to turn in Diangana’s cross at the far post before Roos stuck out his right leg to block Phillips’s side-footed effort from just inside the box.
Roos denied West Brom what appeared to be a certain goal in the second minute of time added on when he blocked Furlong’s diving header from Phillips’s cross.
