Reading fell to a home defeat as Jayden Bogle scored the only goal of the game to gift Sheffield United three points.
Bogle volleyed in at the back post in the 56th minute in a second-half that was paused for a long period of time after a significant injury to United’s John Fleck.
After the match restarted, the Royals couldn’t find the net in a lacklustre attacking display..
The result leaves Reading in 20th position in the Championship after 19 matches.
Veljko Paunovic made one change from Reading’s draw to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Tom Dele-Bashiru returned to the starting line-up in place of Tom Holmes as the Royals switched to a back four.
Meanwhile, Alen Halilovic, Femi Azeez and Dejan Tetek returned from injury to be named among the substitutes.
The visitors came into the match winless in their last four while Reading have picked up four points from their previous two.
Sheffield United started the better of the two sides as David McGoldrick made an early burst down the left to win a corner.
The delivery caused chaos in the Reading box as they scrambled to try and clear the bouncing ball before a misfired shot was hit well wide.
McGoldrick won the Blades another corner a few minutes later and Luke Southwood was left stranded when he came for the cross after a short routine but missed his punch,but to his relief he managed to deflect the ball behind at the second attempt.
The first big scare of the game came for Reading when United struck the bar from a free-kick.
Morgan Gibbs-White hit an arrowing shot which looked to have got the better of Southwood, but he was rescued by the frame of the goal.
The first booking of the game was dished out to John Fleck as he tugged on the shirt of Ovie Ejaria to prevent a counter attack.
The Royals began to find their feet in the match and enjoy some possession after a slow start.
John Swift stamped his influence in midfield as he drove through the heart of the Sheffield midfield, played the ball out wide to Andy Yiadom whose cross was put behind for a corner.
The resulting corner saw Reading have their first shot as Scott Dann’s header looped over the bar.
Swift showed an outrageous piece of close control to keep the ball against the pressure of two United players before he hooked a long crossfield ball out wide to Yiadom.
After Swift and Ejaria’s link up on the right-wing, Danny Drinkwater sent in a teasing delivery that was almost reached but the onrushing Baba Rahman who was just beaten by the bounce of the ball.
But there was little in the way of chances for either side as the half ended goalless with both teams failing to register a shot on target.
The first chance of the second-half fell the way of the away side as they worked the ball neatly across the box to Jayden Bogle, but Southwood rushed off his line to narrow the angle and make a smart stop.
The deadlock was broken in the 57th minute when Bogle was left free at the back post and volleyed in at Southwood’s near post to give United the lead.
Going behind sparked Paunovic to make a change as Andy Carroll replaced Dele-Bashiru.
There was a significant delay to the match after United’s Fleck went down in serious distress and received extensive medical attention and was eventually taken off on a stretcher.
The match restarted again after around a 10-minute pause while Fleck received treatment.
Rhian Brewster picked up a yellow after he hauled down Swift just inside the Reading half to break up an attack.
Reading’s first shot on target came in the 84th minute when Carroll let fly from distance and forced a save from Wes Foderingham.
There were 13 minutes of added time after the long injury delay.
Reading struggled to create many clear cut chances as Carroll headed a half chance over the bar, while Halilovic entered the field for the final 10 minutes.
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But the hosts failed to find an opening as the Blades took the points.
Reading are away at Swansea City on Saturday.
Reading: Southwood, Yiadom, Moore (c), Dann, Rahman, Laurent, Drinkwater, Dele-Bashiru, Ejaria, Swift, Puscas
Subs: Halilovic, Carroll, Holmes, Tetek, Azeez, Rafael, Ashcroft
Sheff Utd: Foderingham, Egan (c), Basham, Davies, Stevens, Bogle, Norwood, Fleck, Brewster, McGoldrick, Gibbs-White
Subs: Osborn, Hourihane, Verrips, Burke, Sharp, Freeman, Berge
Goals: Bogle 57′
