READING made a super start to the new year as goals from John Swift and Charlie Adam saw them maintain their impressive form with a win against promotion chasing Fulham.
Swift opened the scoring as he finished off a slick passing move in the 14th minute before Charlie Adam doubled the lead early in the second half. Ivan Caveleiro put Fulham back into the game but Reading held on to claim the victory.
The Royals are now unbeaten in their last six and have won the last four to take them just five points off the play-off places with a game in hand.
On the back of three consecutive victories to end 2019, Reading went into a difficult game against promotion pushing Fulham with an unchanged line-up from the side that beat Preston North End away from home.
Striker Sam Baldock returned to the bench to provide the Royals with an injury boost.
With nine minutes gone in the contest, Fulham found the first opening of the match when Anthony Knockaert’s through ball found Aleksandar Mitrovic who tried an effort at goal from a tight angle which was well saved by Rafael.
The Brazilian goalkeeper then sprung to his feet to make two quickfire saves from Bobby Decrodova-Reid’s follow up as his sensational piece of goalkeeping kept the scores level.
With their first venture forward, the Royals were clinical as the took the lead in the 14th minute as Fulham’s run stretched to zero clean sheets in their last eight games.
John Swift sparked the attack as he released Ovie Ejaria on the left wing who weighed up his options before flicking the ball to Tyler Blackett to drive into the box and found Swift with a cutback, who caressed the ball past Rodak with a first time finish to complete a flowing move.
Charlie Adam tried a speculative effort from his own half after spotting Rodak off his line, the Scottish midfielder fired a half volley just wide of the target much to the relief of the Fulham keeper.
The Royals then had a chance to extend their lead as Swift whipped in an inviting delivery which was met by the rising Lucas Joao but he couldn’t steer his header on target as the chance went begging.
The hosts looked to pile pressure on the Reading defence but the visitors stayed resilient as Michael Morrison dominated in the air from set pieces to nullify the dangerous Mitrovic who headed well over the target with his only sniff at goal in the box.
Reading created two more promising chances before the break as Ovie Ejaria weaved his way into the box before poking an effort across the face of goal before Swift wasted a good chance from a 20 yard free kick, where he is usually so deadly, as his strike hit the wall.
The second half started strongly for Reading as captain Liam Moore went close with a close range header which he put just over the bar.
But just moments later, Reading doubled their advantage through Adam. Ejaria worked his magic to drift into the box before cutting the ball back for Adam who smashed the ball past Rodak to give the Royals a superb start to the second half.
Lucas Joao had a golden opportunity to make it three when Ejaria drifted a delightful cross to the forward who brought the ball down well but couldn’t place it past Rodak.
Fulham got on the scoresheet through substitute Ivan Cavaleiro who cut into the box on to his right foot and curled the ball beyond Rafael into the bottom corner through a crowd of bodies to get his side back into the contest.
Having just got back into the game, Reading should have restored their two goal lead as Swift found Moore with a superbly delivered free-kick but the captain missed the target with a free header.
Bowen made his first change of the match as goal scorer Adam was replaced by Andy Rinomhota. A second change followed minutes later with Matt Miazga replacing Yakou Meite as Reading looked to protect their lead with an extra defender.
Miazga made an immediate impact as he used his defensive awareness to get back on the line and take the ball off the toes of Mitrovic who would have had an easy tap in from two yards out had it not been for his intercepting clearance.
Mitrovic was shown a yellow card after he was penalised for simulation before Lucas Joao also picked up a yellow for Reading as the game entered the final 15 minutes. Moments later Joao had to be replaced by Sam Baldock after he pulled up with a hamstring injury.
Rafael pulled out another vital stop to tip Cavaleiro’s effort onto the post as Reading held on to their slender advantage approaching the final five minutes of the 90. The Brazilian keeper made another stunning stop to claw away Mitrovic’s header in the final minute of normal time to keep Reading in front.
Reading held onto a hard fought three points as they defeated their promotion chasing opponents who dropped down to fifth after starting the day in third.
The Royals are in FA Cup action in their third round tie at home to Blackpool Town on Saturday, before they return to Championship action against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, January 11 at the Madejski Stadium.
Fulham: Rodak, Christie, Odoi, Ream, Bryan, Reed, Johansen, Knockaert, De Cordova-Reid, Kamara, Mitrovic.
Subs: Bettinelli, Mawson, McDonald, Cavaleiro, O’Riley, De La Torre, Harris.
Reading: Rafael, Gunter, Moore, Morrison, Blackett, Pele, Adam, Swift, Ejaria, Meite, Joao.
Subs: Walker, Miazga, Rinomhota, Baldock, Obita, McCleary, Boye.
Goals: Swift 14′, Adam 48′
