Reading striker Adam Le Fondre claimed that Jay Rodriguez should have been sent off for a foul on Royals keeper Adam Federici as he scored Saints’ opening goal yesterday.

Rodriguez slid in to bundle the ball past Federici in the first half after playing a one-two with Rickie Lambert.

Replays suggested the Reading keeper could have been braver, but Le Fondre thought Rodriguez went in too hard on him.

He said: “You would have thought it would have been a red card, wouldn’t you? You don’t really get that sort of tackle in a modern day game.

“It’s that little bit of luck that you get. The ref didn’t see it, he went straight through Feds and they get the goal.

“It was a sucker punch because it was a harsh goal to concede and anywhere else on the pitch the ref would be reaching for his pocket.”