A brace from Yakou Meite along with Sam Baldock’s first half penalty helped to deliver only a second league win at home for the Royals, as they overcame fellow strugglers Millwall at the Madejski.
After looking sluggish in the early exchanges, Royals took the lead on 28 minutes when Meite headed them in front, only for Murray Wallace to level six minutes later for the visitors.
Baldock’s penalty on the stroke of half-time restored Royals’ lead before Meite added a third late on to secure a much needed victory for Royals.
The result moves Paul Clement’s men up to 19th in the table, two points above the drop zone, with a Tuesday night encounter at Birmingham to follow.
Millwall posed the greater threat early on, with Shane Ferguson finding Jed Wallace with a defence-splitting pass to put the Lions winger through on goal, but he was denied by the outstretched leg of Anssi Jaakkola in the Reading net.
In a series of chances for the visitors, former-Royal Jake Cooper looped his header over the bar from a corner, before seeing another effort from closer range clawed away by Jaakkola, when the Millwall centre back looked certain to score.
Reading took more than 20 minutes to register their first effort at goal, but came very close to moving ahead when Liam Kelly’s shot struck the post, following a neat link up between Gareth McCleary and Andy Yiadom down the right.
Just before the half hour, Royals broke the deadlock after Yakou Meite met Tyler Blackett’s cross from the left in the air, to head home past Ben Amos in the Millwall goal.
However, Reading were pegged back after only six minutes, as Murray Wallace latched onto a loose ball from a corner to fire Millwall level.
The home side looked to regain the lead, and after a corner from Leandro Bacuna was only half-cleared, the ball fell to Kelly, but he volleyed wide from outside the box.
A minute before the break, Blackett was scythed down by Romeo in the Millwall box and Referee David Webb pointed to the spot. Baldock stepped up and confidently fired past Amos to make it 2-1 as the teams trudged off at half-time.
Millwall flew out of the traps in the second period, in search of another equaliser, and were only inches away from doing so when Tom Elliot’s glancing header across goal hit the woodwork from a free-kick situation. A goal scramble ensued, but the Royals defence remained resolute and cleared the ball away to safety.
At the other end, Meite squandered a fantastic chance to add his second of the afternoon, aiming too close to Amos from a tight angle after being played through by John Swift. Moments later, Yiadom found Baldock at the far post with a looping ball in from the right flank, however the Royals forward could not keep his effort down and it flew harmlessly over the bar.
Millwall’s aerial presence was a continual danger from set pieces, but Royals stood firm with Bacuna rising above a crowd to clear the latest delivery from a free kick wide on the left.
Jaakkola kept the Royals ahead on 69 minutes, reacting quickly to palm away Ferguson’s fiercely struck volley from close range, before the rebound was headed over by Ryan Leonard.
The Finnish goalkeeper was alert again when Ferguson’s effort deflected goalwards, and got down well to make the reflex save.
Five minutes from time Reading secured the points, as Meite added his second of the game, rising high to connect with Bacuna’s delivery from the left and nod into the net beyond the reach of Amos.
Reading: Jaakkola; Yiadom, Blackett, Moore (c), Ilori, Bacuna, Kelly (McNulty 84), Swift, McCleary (Gunter 74), Meite, Baldock (Rinomhota 79).
Subs not used: Legg, Meyler, Aluko, Sims,
Goals: Meite 28, 85 Baldock 45 (pen),
Yellow Card: Rinomhota
Millwall: Amos; Meredith (O’Brien 69), Cooper, Williams (c), J.Wallace, Gregory, Ferguson, Romeo, Elliott (Morison 77), M.Wallace, Leonard (Bradshaw 84).
Subs not used: Archer, Hutchinson, Tunnicliffe, Skalak,
Goal: M.Wallace 34.
Yellow Cards: Romeo, Cooper
Referee: David Webb
Attendance: 14, 532 (1,831 away).
