Reading picked up their first home league win since April by comfortably dispatching of fellow strugglers 3-0 Hull City.
The Royals, who had not beaten the visitors since 2005, took an early lead through Sam Baldock.
And they doubled the advantage with 20 minutes to go as Jon Dadi Bodvarsson fired in before the win was sealed by a late Andy Yiadom strike.
The hosts had to end the game with 10 men after John O’Shea was shown a straight red card, but they saw out the win which lifts them out of the Championship relegation zone.
Paul Clement made four changes following the forgettable midweek display against Norwich City with Saeid Ezatolahi handed his Royals debut while Josh Sims and O’Shea also made their first Championship starts. Bodvarsson also came back in with Chris Gunter, John Swift, Sone Aluko and Yakou Meite all dropping to the bench.
And the changes worked instantly as Reading came flying out the traps.
Clement questioned his players’ passion and fighting spirit during the 2-1 loss to the Canaries, but it was the polar opposite this afternoon as they took the lead in the fourth minute.
Leandro Bacuna whipped a corner towards the near post, which was turned on by Ezatolahi but David Marshall made a good save. However, Baldock was on hand to stab home the rebound from inside the six-yard box to break the deadlock.
And the Royals pressure continued. Bacuna continued his brilliant set piece delivery through the first half and it almost carved out a second goal as Liam Moore headed on to Sims, who chipped the ball into Bodvarsson but he nodded over the bar.
The visitors created their first opening on 11 minutes when Liam Kelly was dispossessed by Markus Henriksen. Jackson Irvine drove forwards and teed up Jarrod Bowen, but he fired wide.
The Tigers had the ball in the net midway through the half when Fraizer Campbell tapped in, but the flag was up for offside.
After the lightning quick start from the Royals the tempo dropped, but they did threaten again on the half hour mark with good work around the box before Bodvarsson’s shot was blocked.
Bacuna was the next to threaten, seeing a 30-yard free-kick tipped over by Marshall before he then crossed for Baldock, but his header was also denied.
Hull ended the half strongly, having the ball in the net again when Bowen’s shot was fumbled by Sam Walker into the path of Todd Kane to slot in, but the flag was raised.
The linesman was unmoved on the stroke of the break when a deep cross found Irvine at the back post, but he volleyed over the bar.
The visitors also began the second half on the front foot with Ilori required to slide in and deny Kane before Kevin Stewart fired just over.
Nigel Adkins made a double change just past the hour mark, introducing Kamil Grosicki and former Royal Chris Martin.
But it was a Reading sub which made the biggest impact. Barrow replaced goalscorer Baldock on the left flank on 69 minutes and instantly created a goal, feeding the ball through to Yiadom, who cut it across for Bodvarsson to tuck home his fifth goal of the season.
Martin looked for the instant reply but was thwarted by Walker. And the Royals sealed the win when good play by Sims found Yiadom, who spun in the middle of the box and tucked into the bottom corner for his first goal since joining the club in the summer.
Reading had to end the game with 10 men after O’Shea was given a straight red card for scything down Martin as he broke clean through on goal. The resulting set piece from Grosicki did find the net, but referee Jeremy Simpson deemed the deflection to have come off a Hull arm.
And the hosts saw out the victory, earning their first home points of the campaign to move up to 20th in the table.
READING: Walker;
Ilori, O’Shea, Moore (c), Yiadom; Ezatolahi (Swift 68), Bacuna, Kelly (Gunter
85); Sims, Baldock (Barrow 69), Bodvarsson.
Subs not used: Jaakkola, Aluko, Meite, McNulty.
Goals: Baldock (4), Bodvarsson (70), Yiadom (82)
Yellow cards: O’Shea (58)
Red cards: O’Shea (83)
HULL: Marshall;
Lichaj, Elphick, Burke, Kingsley; Henriksen (c), Stewart (Martin 63); Bowen
(Grosicki 63), Irvine, Kane; Campbell.
Subs not used: Long, De Wijs, Toral, McKenzie, Dicko.
Goals:
Yellow cards: Campbell (33)
Red cards:
Referee: Jeremy Simpson
Attendance: 12,409 (including 537 away)
