Forster the hero as Reading FC secure play-off final spot against Wigan Athletic

Two late goals from Martin Butler and Nicky Forster sent the Madejski Stadium into delirium and sent the Royals to the 2001 Division Two play-off semi-final.

A stalemate in the first leg meant it was everything to play for Alan Pardew’s men.

The game started slowly, before the visitors took the lead through Kevin Nicholls’ 20-yard strike in the 26th minute.

READ MORE: Away fans guide to the DW Stadium 

Reading pushed back at the Latics, with a last-ditch tackle denying Martin Butler the chance to level the games for the Royals almost immediately after conceding.

Jim McIntyre came close for the hosts on the stroke of half-time, after wasting a chance to equalise when he put wide from just outside the box.

The game was a bad-tempered affair – with fans invading the pitch at points.

The Royals continued to waste chances in the second half, with both Sammy Igoe and Martin Butler failing to beat Roy Carroll in the Latics goal.

In the 86th minute, the Royals finally found their way past Carroll with Martin Butler reacting fastest to the lose ball after Carroll parried a cross from Nicky Forster.

Then, in injury time, the moment which Reading fans who were there that day will still remember to this day.

Nicky Forster broke down the right-hand side as the game entered stoppage time – before being brought down in the area by Wigan’s Kevin Sharp.

Jamie Cureton stepped up to take the spot kick for the Royals. Cureton saw his penalty pushed away by Roy Carroll at full stretch – but Forster reacted quickest to slot the rebound past Carroll.

With no time for the shell-shocked visitors to respond, pandemonium ensued at the Madejski, with euphoric fans flooding onto the pitch at full time to celebrate the win.  

Reading went on to lose in extra time in the final to Walsall, but the dramatic nature of the Wigan win has stayed in the hearts and minds of fans lucky enough to be there that night.