READING FC kept their perfect home record intact with a brace from Lucas Joao to take three points against Stoke City.
Marking his 29th birthday in style, Joao put Reading ahead after two minutes when he capitalised on a mistake from goalkeeper Jack Bonham after Joe Lumley’s quick thinking to catch Stoke on the back foot.
After Ben Wilmot’s leveller late in the first-half, Joao restored Reading’s lead with an emphatic hit from the penalty spot.
The win puts the Royals up to second in the Championship table after eight games.
Paul Ince opted to start the striking pair of Lucas Joao and Shane Long together from the start for the first time this season.
Meanwhile, new signings Naby Sarr and Mamadou Loum both missed out through injury to leave a gap in the spine of the team.
Baba Rahman was named among the substitutes after making his return to the Royals on another one year loan from Chelsea earlier this week.
Stoke lined-up with manager Alex Neil for their first away trip under their new boss with former Reading academy product Tariq Fosu in their starting eleven.
Another former Royal, Lewis Baker, who made a positive impression during a loan spell in 2018/19 with Reading, started in the heart of Stoke’s midfield wearing the armband.
Meanwhile, Josh Laurent, who left Reading this summer to join the Potters, missed out through injury.
Reading didn’t let the early kick-off faze them and made a dream start when they pulled in front with just two minutes on the clock.
Joe Lumley’s long punt up field caught Stoke off guard as Lucas Joao raced onto the long ball.
Stoke keeper Jack Bonham completely misjudged the flight of the ball which bounced over his head and Joao kept his composure from a narrow angle to tap into an empty net.
Sam Hutchinson picked up an early booking after making a strong tackle, but the resulting free-kick was well overhit.
Stoke’s first attempt at goal came from Baker with a shot from range that resulted in a comfortable take for Lumley to gather.
Fosu looked to create danger from the left when he cut inside to deliver a cross that flew across the box without there being a Stoke forward in the middle to meet it.
Joao had another sighter at goal when he worked space from 20 yards and unleashed a shot that flew over the target.
Ince looked determined to impress against his former club and expressed exceptional work rate throughout. He looked to create when he picked up the ball in stoke’s half, drove at goal and flashed a shot just wide.
Pressing for an equaliser down the right, Hutchinson put in a vital intervention in the box to turn the ball behind for a corner from a dangerous Will Smallbone cross.
Reading should have doubled their lead just after half an hour when Jeff Hendrick knocked a floated corner back across goal to find Shane Long in the six yard box, but he spooned his shot over the crossbar.
The visitors were on terms in the 40th minute when Ben Wilmot was first to meet Aden Flint’s knockdown from a corner and found the net via a deflection off Reading skipper Andy Yiadom.
Stoke forged a chance to take an early lead in the second-half when Tyrese Campbell pulled the ball back invitingly for the onrushing Sam Clucas who skied the ball over the top to spurn the opportunity.
Reading restored their lead just prior to the hour mark when they were awarded a penalty.
Tyrese Fornah played the ball into Joao who worked his way into the box before he was tripped by a clumsy tackle from Wilmot.
Joao slammed the penalty into the bottom left corner past the reach of Bonham to claim his second goal of the afternoon.
Reading should have had a third in the 66th minute after a brilliantly worked move down the right that ended in Yiadom’s cross ricocheting off Aden Flint and falling just beyond the far post and out of the reach of Joao for a tap in.
Ince opted for a switch in the 69th minute when Junior Hoilett was replaced by Baba Rahman.
Just moments later, Long was replaced by Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan.
Reading went in search of a third and came close after another excellent run and pinpoint pass from Ince set them on their way before Yiadom won his team a free-kick just out the box.
Ehibhatiomhan had a half chance with five minutes of the 90 to go when he swivelled to strike first time in the box, but Bonham made the catch.
Reading managed the game to claim three more points at home to make it four wins from four at the SCL in the Championship.
Reading are away at Vicarage Road next weekend against sixth placed Watford.
Reading: Lumley, Yiadom (c), Holmes, Hutchinson, McIntyre, Hoilett, Fornah, Hendrick, Ince, Joao, Long
Subs: Bouzanis, Abrefa, Rahman, Guinness-Walker, Tetek, Craig, Ehibhatiomhan
Stoke City: Bonham, Wilmot, Flint, Fox, Brown, Smallbone, Baker (c), Clucas, Fosu, Delap, Campbell
Subs: Bursik, Jagielka, Taylor, Sparrow, Thompson, Powell, Wright-Phillips
Goals: Lucas Joao 2’, 57’ (pen), Wilmot 40’
