Reading end 2024 in the play-offs and with a home win, beating Mansfield Town 2-1 courtesy of Tyler Bindon's overhead kick.

The Stags, visiting the SCL Stadium for the first time ever, had beaten Peterborough United 3-0 on Boxing Day and were only a matter of two places behind the Royals.

However, Mamadi Camara and Bindon goals either side of Will Evans' header were enough for back-to-back home wins under Noel Hunt.

A scrappy start, neither side could appear to get the ball down and keep it which made for a constant flow of turnovers. It took six minutes for the first shot, with Lewis Wing toe-poking wide of the goal from the edge of the box. Both sides attempted to play football, and the Royals struggled to contend with the speed of passing from the in-form Stags at time.

However, it was the hosts who took the lead on 17 minutes. Wing and Sam Smith combined in the midfield and Camara was threaded through on goal from halfway. With plenty of time to think about his finish while baring down on goal, the winger cleverly slotted past Christy Pym for his second goal in as many games.

This was to be the only real chance on goal Reading would have for the first half as Nigel Clough’s side dominated play and looked like equalising on multiple occasions. Bindon was forced into a goalline clearance and Deji Oshilaja looked set to equalise from a deep free-kick but his header flew narrowly wide of the post.

Ultimately, nobody of a Reading persuasion could complain in first-half stoppage time when the in-form Evans fired a header past Joel Pereira as the Royals’ left-hand side was yet again left exposed.

Mansfied started the second half with the same intensity they had for most of the first period and certainly looked the most likely to edge in front. That was, at least, for the first 15 minutes.

On the hour mark, however, it was Reading who restored their lead, and in some fashion. Wing’s free-kick bounced through the box and was clawed onto the post, but Chem Campbell kept the chance alive with a header back into the six-yard box and Bindon was on hand to acrobatically convert with an overhead kick.

For a while, this knocked the stuffing out of the Stags and both Charlie Savage and Campbell had shots from distance which caused concern to Pym in the net. Always a threat from crosses, Mansfield had waves of attacks but not much of note to concern Pereira.

Aaron Lewis forced the goalkeeper into a dive at full stretch to deny the Stags with two minutes remaining. Winning a succession of corners, the 1,200 travelling fans tried sucking the ball into their net and cranked up the atmosphere but Reading managed to defend them valiantly.

Ending 2024 in sixth place, Reading travel to Cambridge United on New Years Day with a sold-out away support.