Andy Carroll’s aerial prowess earned Reading their first Championship win of 2023 and ended Rotherham’s four-match unbeaten run.

Carroll was the hero again in the last minute of regulation time, as he once again rose to power Femi Azeez’s cross towards goal, only this time Tyrese Fornah used his head to deflect Viktor Johansson’s effort.

Rotherham looked headed for a rare away win after 36-year-old Peltier scored with a terrific header from a Conor Coventry free-kick.

The Millers, who have now conceded just two goals in five games, had the better of the chances, with Peltier, whose last goal was for Leeds at Blackpool on Boxing Day 2013, also hit the bar just six minutes before heading off. head.

Reading had not won in the league since December, drawing three and losing three, but they ended that slump courtesy of Fornah’s latest winner.

This was a meeting of two sides looking over their shoulders at the desperate fight to avoid relegation places, and Rotherham have become a bad team.

The Millers followed up a 4-0 win over play-off contenders Blackburn with draws against two bigger teams in Watford and Sheffield United, and a tie against bottom club Blackpool at the weekend.

They displayed all that stubbornness in restricting Rotherham and were deservedly ahead at half time, Reading’s misery was compounded by the fact that they lost Baba Rahman to injury when he fouled which led to Peltier’s goal.

They were pretty comfortable for 50 minutes, but when Azeez sent a free-kick into the box from near the left corner flag, Carroll rose above everyone and generated enough force on his header for Johansson to pass quickly.

Rotherham almost struck back immediately when Hakeem Odoffin headed Cohen Bramall’s cross wide from the left, but Carroll still had an ace to play, this time from an Azeez corner, and Fornah applied the telling touch to claim the victory that raised the score. Real until 13.

Head of reading Paul Ince:

“I knew that once we got the first goal our crowd would come to life and we would all start to believe again.

“It was a wonderful header from Andy. You could see it coming (from a Femi Azeez free kick) and you knew he was going to win it. It was fantastic. Andy just scares people.”

“I’m not sure if we deserved to win. I thought we started pretty good in the first half, but then for some reason we kind of snapped out of it.”

“We played into Rotherham’s hands and we played their game instead of playing ours. It was rudimentary, it was just one of those games. Sometimes we looked tired, we looked jaded and we couldn’t get to the ball.

“There was all the stuff going on that you don’t want as a coach. And then all of a sudden we were down 1-0, when no one really deserved to win the game.”

“We needed to get further into the park in the second half and that’s what we did. They put pressure on Rotherham and I knew they would tire.”

Rotherham boss Matt Taylor told BBC Radio Sheffield:

“Disappointed is the wrong word. I can’t hide my frustration about that, I really can’t. Frame-to-frame performance levels, I thought we were the best team, created the best chances and (conceded) two sets.” piece goals, both avoidable before the set piece action.

“Then we misunderstood the instructions on the obvious threat, no disrespect to Reading, which was their path to the finish. We were the better team and I’m here with no points.”

“He is the calmest (goalkeeper) Viktor (Johansson) has had all season.

“That’s why we’re in the position we’re in because those moments add up and a combination of those moments cost us tonight.

“Could we have gone further? Possibly. But that first-half performance was the best we’ve seen in a long time.”