Tom Hounsell praises ‘unbelievable’ Danny Ings after rescuing draw for Wycombe
Ings joined Wanderers on Friday and made an immediate impact on his debut.
Wycombe caretaker boss Tom Hounsell hailed the “unbelievable quality” shown by Danny Ings after the former England striker scored a late equaliser in the 2-2 draw with Reading.
The Royals looked set to register their first away league win since March when 72nd-minute substitute Ings, who signed for Wanderers on Friday, scored a typical poacher’s goal – a right-foot shot from close range after being set up by Fred Onyedinma’s header.
Ings, 34, who counts Liverpool, Southampton, Villa and West Ham among his former clubs, had been training with Wycombe last week and Hounsell said: “He has been unbelievable around the club.
“He’s someone we pursued during the summer and for whatever reason that didn’t quite work out.
“We were able to bring him back in and the quality he has shown during the week has been unbelievable.
“His finishing quality, the quality of his first touch are all there but, ultimately, he just works so hard every day.
“He’s going to be a great professional for our players to look up to and lean on. We’re thrilled to have him.
“For his goal, Danny did what he does. It wasn’t just his finish. He’s got loads of experience and you expect him to appear in those moments.
“We’re looking forward to seeing a relationship build between him and Jayden Wareham.”
Wareham, signed from Exeter just before this month’s transfer deadline, scored his third goal in four games in the 61st minute to cancel out Paudie O’Connor’s 47th-minute opener for Reading.
Substitute Jacob Brown restored the Royals’ lead in the 80th minute before Ings struck.
Reading, chasing a place in the top six, could have been out of sight by half-time, and Wycombe had another debutant, keeper Joe Wildsmith, to thank for fine saves from Paddy Lane and Jack Marriott.
Wildsmith, formerly with Sheffield Wednesday, Derby and West Brom, spilled Lewis Wing’s shot to let in Brown for Reading’s second, but Hounsell said: “Jack kept us in the game and showed some really calm moments.”
Reading boss Leam Richardson said: “First half, we were excellent in the way we worked and the intensity that we worked at.
“Then the game changed and we became a little bit ragged for 10 or 15 minutes, but we got our composure back and scored another goal.
“The game should have ended there, but you look for the positives in an away performance.
“It’s disappointing again to concede a late goal and we have to do miles better in those moments.”
Richardson also claimed that Wycombe’s Dan Casey should have seen a second yellow card for a foul on Brown.
“The ref had to send him off,” the Reading boss argued. “That’s the fourth game now where big decisions have gone against us.”