READING FC’s perfect Championship home run came to an end with defeat to Sunderland.
After an underwhelming first-half display Reading were punished by Patrick Roberts’ quickfire brace which gave the Black Cats a two-goal lead.
Tony Mowbray’s team extended their lead further in the second-half through Jack Clarke to seal an impressive away display.
The loss leaves Reading in 4th in the Championship with 15 points from nine matches.
Paul Ince’s men came into the match in 4th position in the Championship table with a perfect home record with four wins from four.
Mamadou Loum managed to return from injury to make it into the starting eleven, while there was a much welcomed place on the bench for Yakou Meite.
Meanwhile, Tony Mowbray’s side were without top goalscorer Ross Stewart, who already has five goals and three assists in the Championship, who is sidelined with injury.
It was a slow start to the contest as both sides struggled to work their way up into gear.
The visitors enjoyed plenty of the ball in the opening 25 minutes and gave Reading some frightening moments at the back.
Andy Yiadom defended strongly on a couple occasions to stop the threat of Jack Clarke, while Tom McIntyre slid in with a well timed tackle to prevent Patrick Roberts from racing through.
Ellis Simms led a one man charge upfield for Sunderland in a foot race against Sam Hutchinson and the Royals defender did just enough to get the ball behind for a corner to prevent a dangerous opening.
It was an uninspiring first-half display from the Royals which has been uncharacteristic of Ince’s men at home this season.
Reading’s first effort on target came after 34 minutes when Junior Hoilett’s floated corner was met by the leap of Loum who could only force Anthony Patterson into a routine catch.
Having gone down injured three times throughout the half, Simms was substituted for Elliot Embleton in the 38th minute.
The game turned on its head with a quickfire double from Mowbray’s team who punished Reading for their lacklustre first-half performance.
Roberts raced down the right to meet the ball and opened up his body to fire an excellent finish into the far corner.
Just moments later, he did the same again when the Black Cats stole possession in the middle from Loum, broke quickly and Roberts was perfectly positioned to run onto the loose ball and stroke the ball into the far corner to send the sold out away end into raptures again,
Tom Ince tried to get his team back into the game when he cut in from the right and unleashed a strike on his left, but it lacked power and was a comfortable low save for Patterson as Sunderland headed into the break with a two goal lead.
Ince made a change at the break as Loum was taken off for Baba Rahman.
Having switched systems with Hoilett now deployed up top alongside Lucas Joao, the Canadian’s pressing almost paid dividends when he came inches away from shutting down goalkeeper Patterson’s pass that would have left him with an open goal.
With 25 minutes left to play, Ince made an attacking change in an attempt to salvage something from the game as Yakou Meite replaced Hutchinson.
With 20 minutes to play, Sunderland all but wrapped up the points with a third goal when Clarke kept his composure before he smashed the ball past Lumley.
A chance to reduce the deficit fell for Tyrese Fornah when he set himself to try and curl the ball into the far post, but missed the target by a few yards.
Meite created a chance for himself when he won possession in Sudnerland’s half, but hit the ball high and wide with a wild shot.
Sunderland should have added a fourth when they caught Reading with a lack of numbers at the back and when Clarke sprinted through on goal, his dink over Lumley went wide of the target.
The chances kept coming for the Black Cats and Lumley had to stretch a leg out low at his near post to prevent Jewison Bennette from adding to the score with five minutes left.
The Royals are on the road this weekend when they travel to face Wigan Athletic.
