Reading clung on to secure a 2-1 victory over Barnsley despite Garath McCleary's sending off 10 minutes before the break.

After a bright start for the Tykes, it was Reading who put themselves in the lead as John Swift was brought down inside the penalty box by goalkeeper Adam Davies.

McCleary stepped up and his penalty was saved, but the keeper was unable to push it away and the winger smashed in the rebound.

Swift was at it again and put the Royals 2-0 up with a superb curled effort, putting the Berkshire side in the driving seat.

Then a moment of madness from McCleary saw him shove Barnsley midfielder Conor Hourihane after reacting to a bad challenge on Danny Williams, resulting in a red card.

Barnsley pushed it up a gear in the second half to mount increased pressure on Reading, and Newcastle United loan striker Adam Armstrong scored inside the final ten minutes with a great volley from outside the box.

It set up a nervy end for Reading, but Jaap Stam's side held on to stretch their unbeaten league run to five matches.

Here, FootballLeagueWorld writer Ashley Williams identifies the THREE key players for Reading in their victory over Barnsley...

John Swift

After he was restored into the starting line-up for the trip to Oakwell, Swift proved what Stam was missing after a fine performance.

He contributed to the Royals' two goals, earning his side a penalty and scoring with a sensational strike from outside the box.

Swift was a menace in Barnsley’s final third and he will certainly be an influential figure in Reading’s squad this season.

Garath McCleary

Despite losing his head, McCleary has had a fine start to the season but, although he was defending his team mate Danny Williams, you can’t raise your hands to an opponent player.

It was a shame as well because McCleary was excellent up until that point.

He was on hand to net his second penalty of the season and ran riot during the first half an hour of the game, and he could have added to his goal tally when volleying just past the post immediately after he scored his penalty.

Ali Al-Habsi

The Oman international goalkeeper had a relatively untroubled afternoon but had to make a few important saves to secure his side the three points.

The Royals were under pressure for much of the second half, but Al-Habsi stood firm and made some crucial saves.

He dealt with Armstrong’s attacking threat in the second half, palming away a decent strike, and then clawed away Josh Scowen’s last-gasp effort.

He is an extremely important player for the Royals and continues his form from last season.

Reading fans... do you agree? Were these the star players from the victory over Barnsley? How significant will they be throughout this season? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!