HAL ROBSON-KANU fired Reading to a first league win since January on Tuesday night.
In netting his first Championship goal of the season, the Welshman would settle a scrappy encounter with struggling Rotherham United at Madejski Stadium.
It was a tidy finish from the attacker, too, who swept home from close range to finish off good work between Deniss Rakels and Yann Kermorgant on 66 minutes.
The game was one Royals probably deserved to win on the scale of things, and in doing so would put to bed a run of seven fixtures without a victory in the league.
Victory, the first in the Championship since a triumph by the same scoreline over Bristol City on January 2, also extended the hosts unbeaten run on home soil to eight matches.
Not that those present will care about the manner of the triumph anyway, but this was not a game for the purists.
United arrived in Berkshire sitting in the relegation zone and in need of points to close the gap on MK Dons in 21st place, and it was clear they were here for a scrap and to stifle the opposition.
But for their efforts the away side were to pick up a string of bookings in the opening 45 minutes which would leave several key players having to tread carefully.
While the tactic was to fluster Reading, the home side remained unhinged and would eventually record a welcome win after several opportunites went begging earlier in the game.
Brian McDermott made two changes to the side which dumped West Bromwich Albion out of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Yann Kermorgant, available again having been cup tied at the weekend, was recalled, while Ola John was handed a first start since the 2-1 loss to Brentford on December 28 of last year.
Out went Simon Cox and Rakels, who dropped to the bench, where they were joined by the fit-again George Evans.
And both would make significant contributions in what was a first-half which was way short on entertainment and quality.
While John was a handful for former Royal Greg Halford down the left flank, Kermorgant would spurn the hosts’ two best chances of the half.
After a rather forgetful opening 10 minutes, the first chance of the game would arrive from a corner won by John.
Swung over by Oliver Norwood, Kermorgant would climb highest to meet the ball with his head and divert it on target – only for Richie Smallwood to chest away at the far post.
The same player would go close again moments later. Slipped in by Gunter down the right, Robson-Kanu made his way to the byline before picking out an unmarked Kermorgant who lurked on the penalty spot.
Having watched the ball down, the Frenchman tried to break the deadlock with a volley, but could only turn his strike wide of a post.
While Rotherham were tidy in possession, they had struggled to penetrate the Reading defence, although that would change when Grant Ward turned a Halford flick on goalwards.
The chance had Ali Al-Habsi in the Reading goal scrambling towards his far post, but the Omani did well to tip the ball out at full stretch for a corner.
The resulting flag kick was cleared by the hosts, where Stephen Quinn looked to lead the side on the counter, but he was cynically pulled back by Ward, who was promptly booked by referee Kevin Johnson.
And it was to start a familiar trend for the official, who went on to book no fewer then four other United players before the break.
Joining Ward on cautions was Clarke-Harris and Halford, who many were calling for to be dismissed when clearing out Jake Cooper in an aerial challenge.
Richie Smallwood then thought he won a penalty when going to ground under a challenge in the box, only for referee Johnson to deem the player had instead taken a dive and also saw yellow for simulation.
Richard Wood was the next name to go in the note book following a hard challenge on Robson-Kanu as he took off down the right flank.
Reading too had a half-hearted penalty shout waved away earlier in the half when Quinn and Frazer Richardson competed for a high ball in the United box.
Handball was the call, but the officials were having none of it.
If the tactic was to unsettle the home side then it was clearly having the desired affect as several Royals remonstrated with the referee every time a foul was committed, but it did leave almost half the Rotherham side treading on thin ice.
Further half chances would fall to the hosts before the break, where Quinn did well to meet a Gunter centre whipped over from the right, but his diving header lacked the necessary conviction to trouble Lee Camp in the Rotherham goal.
Robson-Kanu, having worked himself an opening when cutting inside, went for goal from just outside the box, but could only drag the chance wide, meaning both sides went in at half time with the score still at stalemate.
Early chances would materialise for both sides after the restart too, but Kermorgant got his angles horribly wrong when meeting another Gunter cross, this time shanking a header wide when unmarked.
From the restart, United immediately went up the other end and won a corner, where Broadfoot was off target with a header.
It was a difficult chance for the defender, admittedly, who had his back to goal, yet he still did well to out jump his man and divert the ball towards the near post.
The next opportunity of note would arrive just before the hour mark – and it was well crafted by the home side.
Receiving a pass from Hector saw John show close control and deceive three markers before dinking the ball over to Kermorgant, who teed up Norwood to let fly from the edge of the box.
The midfielder, however, got too far over the ball and his drive flashed wide of an upright.
With the game now some 65 minutes old boss McDermott decided a change was necessary, and replaced Norwood with Rakels, who joined Kermorgant up front.
And the Latvian was to make an immediate impact, as it was his low cross from the right which resulted in the deadlock being broken seconds later.
Kermorgant was also involved, getting a toe on the centre, which was enough to direct the ball in the direction of Robson-Kanu, who fired across Camp and into the corner.
The hosts were almost celebrating a second just moments later, but Quinn was unable to keep his effort down when the ball sat up nicely on the edge of the box.
United boss Neil Warnock also felt the need to call upon his reinforcements, introducing both Jerome Thomas and Leon Best as the visitors changed to more attacking formation.
And Thomas was to go close with a header when the ball was hooked into the box from the right, but the former Arsenal man could only loop the opportunity wide.
Hector would push another attempt from distance wide at the other end and Rakels saw a header deflected out for a corner by Bradfoot as Royals looked to put the result beyond any doubt.
Despite needing to chase the game, moments for Rotherham to equalise were few and far between, with Ward firing wide and Thomas pulling a snap-shot wide in stoppage time, as Royals were really troubled in the latter stages.
Reading, who moved up to 14th in the standings, will now be looking to build on back-to-back league wins in league and cup when they make the trip to another struggling side, Charlton Athletic, on Saturday.
Reading: Al Habsi, Gunter, McShane, Cooper, Obita, Hector, Norwood (Rakels 65), Quinn, Robson-Kanu, Kermorgant, John (McCleary 73).
Subs not used: Bond, Evans, Ferdinand, Piazon, Cox.
Booked: Hector
Rotherham United: Camp, Halford (Derbyshire 79), Richardson, Broadfoot (c), Newell, Green (Best 73), Smallwood, Clarke-Harris (Thomas 72), Ward, Mattock, Wood.
Subs not used: Kenny, Shinnie, Kelly, Yates.
Booked: Grant, Clarke-Harris, Wood, Halford, Smallwood.
Referee: Kevin Johnson
Attendance: 13,504 (271 away)
