A penalty from captain Grant Leadbitter, coupled with Britt Assombalonga’s second-half header heaped more misery on Reading and Jaap Stam, as they lost to fellow strugglers Middlesbrough.

Royals started brightly, but when Leadbitter scored from the spot after Joey Van den Berg fouled Assombalonga, the afternoon turned from bad to worse with the Boro number nine heading home to double the visitors’ lead on 74 minutes. The result leaves Royals within two points of the relegation zone and with only one win in their last eight league games.

Royals flew out of the traps, with Liam Kelly winning a corner after a well-weighted pass from Chris Gunter set the Royals’ top scorer off down the left. From the resulting corner, Sone Aluko flashed a cross just wide of Darren Randolph’s far post.

Boro-legend Downing looked to find an opening for the visitors, and his hanging cross found Britt Assombalonga but the Middlesbrough number nine could not trouble Vito Mannone with his header.

Shortly after, a cross from Cyrus Christie was only half-cleared by Thiago Ilori and Assombalonga picked up the ball before being felled by Joey Van den Berg with referee Oliver Langford pointing to the spot. Leadbitter stepped up and smashed the ball into the roof of the net to put the visitors ahead on 14 minutes.

Royals looked to reply as Aluko linked up nicely with John Swift before striking just over the bar from 20 yards.

A nasty clash of heads added to Reading’s woes midway through the first half, as Liam Moore and Ilori collided before falling to the ground. Both required treatment and Ilori was eventually stretchered off with Moore returning to the field with bandaged head.

Royals’ best chance of the half fell to Sam Smith on his first league start however the youngster was beaten to Gunter’s inviting cross by Boro defender Daniel Ayala.

Smith was close again to finding an equaliser when he flicked another Gunter cross just beyond the far post but the Royals still trailed heading into the break.

Reading made a bright start in the second period with Smith having a shot stopped by Randolph but Beerens was flagged offside as he looked to pounce on the follow up. Kelly then ran to the by-line before crossing towards Smith and McShane but the ball did not fall to either man.

At the other end, McShane gave the ball away cheaply to Assombalonga who raced through into the box before shooting across goal and narrowly wide.

John Swift made some space to fire a shot off, but the Boro keeper got down to his right and held on well with Smith closing in.

Boro doubled their lead on 74 minutes, with Howson’s cross from the right powerfully met by Assombalonga who headed home to add to Reading’s misery.

Stam’s last roll of the dice was to bring on last season’s hero Yann Kermorgant, in a desperate attempt to pull a goal back, but it was Boro who nearly added a third when Vito Mannone denied substitute Marvin Johnson from close range to keep Royals in the game.

Aluko struck a sweet volley from outside of the box as Royals probed for a goal but his effort was tipped around the post by Randolph for a corner.

Kermorgant also came close late on after a Royals corner was only half cleared but he fired over the bar to make sure that Boro left Berkshire with their first win in five games.

READING: Mannone; McShane (c), Ilori (Blackett 29), Moore, Gunter; van den Berg (Barrow 68), Kelly (Kermorgant 77), Swift; Aluko, Beerens, Smith.
Subs not used: Jaakkola, Edwards, Clement, Popa.
Yellow card: McShane (45+1)

MIDDLESBROUGH: Randolph; Christie, Ayala, Gibson, Fabio; Downing, Howson, Leadbitter (c) (Forshaw 76), Tavernier (Johnson 62); Braithwaite (Bamford 89), Assombalonga.
Subs not used: Konstantopoulos, Friend, Fry, Traore.
Goals: Leadbitter (pen) (14), Assombalonga (74)
Yellow card: Assombalonga (49)

Referee: Oliver Langford
Attendance: 17,928 (inc. 1,913 away)

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