Man City 0
Reading 2 (Lita 79,89)
Two top quality finishes from Leroy Lita gave Reading all three points at Man City to take the Royals up to sixth in the Premiership.
Lita scored twice in the last 11 minutes with a pair of exquisite strikes, and he deserved a hat-trick but saw one ruled out in the first half by an incorrect linesman's decision.
The first half was a rather cagey affair, but Reading were always the most likely and scored what was a perfectly good goal not long before the break.
Moments later Marcus Hahnemann reacted quickly to deny Joey Barton after the American had spilled the initial shot.
Dietmar Hamann hit his own crossbar not long after the restart, and Darius Vassell then missed City's clearest chance.
The Royals continued to press though, and just as the game looked to be petering out Lita popped up, first with a brilliant left-footed effort from Steve Sidwell's pass, and then again with a cool finish from James Harper's throughball.
Steve Coppell's men deserved to win, showing a great mentality to put the disallowed goal behind them, and they put in a top quality performance from front to back as this incredible Premiership season continues to amaze, with no signs of letting up.
Reading (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Murty (c), Shorey, Bikey, Ingimarsson; Harper, Sidwell, Little (Oster 80), Hunt; Lita, Long (Kitson 75)
Subs: Federici, De La Cruz, Duberry
Man City (3-5-2): Weaver (Isaksson 35); Richards, Dunne (c), Distin; Trabelsi, Beasley, Dabo (Hamann 48), Barton, Ireland; Samaras (Sturridge 74), Vassell
Subs: Sun, Corradi
Ref: H Webb
Attendance: 38,676
Full report
The game had a cagey start, with only half chances in the first 25 minutes or so.
Stephen Hunt had been causing City problems, and his lovely dinked ball almost put Leroy Lita in, but a combination of Nicky Weaver and Richard Dunne hooked clear, and Weaver was eventually forced off injured after the collision.
Five minutes before the break, Graeme Murty fired in a hopeful long ball from the halfway line, and it looked to be sailing out, only for Hunt to show his tenacity and head it back to Lita, who turned home. The linesman's flag on the far side went up though, and video footage showed it was an incorrect call.
Just before the interval Marcus Hahnemann gave Joey Barton a chance as he mishandled Georgios Samaras' shot, but the big keeper redeemed himself by saving at Barton's feet.
In injury time Lita was inches away from an opener, and he was desperately unlucky to see Shane Long's cross just too far ahead of him as he steamed in.
Second half
The second half started with opportunities at either end, and Reading were given a good chance when Hunt burst down the left, but with plenty of options on the edge of the area he drilled along the six yard box and nobody was able to get there.
Straight down the other end, Vassell had a golden chance from a low right wing cross, and he stole in front of Andre Bikey but shot well over.
Then Long looked destined to score as Steve Sidwell played a low ball into his path, but the Irishman was inches away from touching home.
Reading were creating loads of chances, and were unlucky not to go ahead when Little did brilliantly to get a cross in, and it deflected off Dietmar Hamann, onto the bar and away to safety.
Vassell was played in by a well-weighted pass from the edge of the box, but Hahnemann was out well to cover the danger as a good chance went begging.
Sub Daniel Sturridge turned Bikey to prompt a move down the left, and the cross eventually found Barton, but he shot off target at the back post.
On 78 minutes Reading scored an exquisite goal. Nicky Shorey won the ball in his own half, and with great feet found Little, who in turn released Sidwell with a lovely pass. The flame-haired midfielder weighted a superb ball through to Lita, and he finished brilliantly into the far corner with his left foot.
Reading could have had another, but Hunt chose a highly unlikely overhead kick when James Harper was screaming for a lay-off.
Lita then had a second with a minute left, slotting home from 18 yards with a lovely finish after being slipped in by James Harper.
City looked for a consolation, but Shorey did superbly to get back on his line, showing incredible coolness to stride across his own goal with the ball at his feet before passing out calmly.
It was a quality performance from Steve Coppell's men, and they deserved the three points that put them up to sixth.
