It was the ultimate game of two halves at Madejski Stadium as Blackburn overturned a half-time deficit to snatch a late victory.

The Royals were totally dominant in the first half, and could have easily led by more than one at the break.

Steve Sidwell hit the bar with a header, James Harper forced an excellent save from Brad Friedel and Blackburn had to endure almost constant pressure until Harper finally broke the deadlock, racing onto Stephen Hunt's throughball to slot home.

But the second half was a different story as Blackburn came out on the front foot and looked increasingly like scoring until Benni McCarthy finally headed home on 64 minutes.

McCarthy had already had three goals ruled out for offside, one of which should have been allowed, and in truth it was no more than Rovers deserved.

Mark Hughes' side continued to threaten until David Bentley finally claimed the points with a superbly struck long-range effort inside the final ten minutes.

Full match report
Michael Gray had the first shot of the game after three minutes when a long ball forward from the left found Benni McCarthy, and the striker laid the ball back to the midfielder who dragged his strike well wide from 25 yards.

Reading enjoyed the majority of the early possession and after eight minutes James McEveley launched into an awful late challenge on Glen Little to earn a deserved yellow card, and Little was only able to continue after extensive treatment from Jon Fearn.

Kevin Doyle then latched onto a Seol Ki-Hyeon flick to rob the dawdling Andre Ooijer, but the Irish striker was under pressure as he shot and fired high and wide.

The visitors had a goal disallowed after 14 minutes when Morten Gamst Pedersen turned well on the edge of the box and drilled a fierce shot which Marcus Hahnemann could only parry. McCarthy slotted home the rebound, but was flagged offside.

Blackburn were beginning to look more of a threat with Tugay orchestrating some nice passing moves in midfield, but Kevin Doyle came close after 20 minutes with a sharp turn and powerful drive from 25 yards, the ball flying just wide of the left post.

Seconds later Reading were threatening again as Little, James Harper and Doyle combined to find Nicky Shorey, and the left-back danced to the byline to deliver a delightful cross that was deflected to Harper ten yards out, but the midfielder's left-footed effort was very well blocked by Brad Friedel.

Pedersen then warmed Hahnemann's hands with a well struck free-kick from long range, but the Royals' keeper was always safely behind the ball.

Reading won their first corner after 28 minutes with a sweet passing move down the right, and that led to a second corner which Ivar Ingimarsson turned goalwards at the near post. The ball was blocked and fell back to Ingimarsson, whose first time volley from a narrow angle flew too high.

The home side came even closer seconds later when Stephen Hunt won a free-kick on the left, and Little's pinpoint delivery found Steve Sidwell, whose powerful header crashed against the crossbar with Friedel well beaten.

The Royals were now well on top, forcing Blackburn almost constantly onto the back foot with a series of crosses, corners and free-kicks, and the breakthrough came with 41 minutes on the clock.

A series of quick passes down the left resulted in Hunt dropping a perfectly weighted pass over the top, allowing Harper to break from midfield, beat the offside trap and sidefoot calmly past the stranded Friedel from the edge of the box.

The goal was followed by a bizarre celebration as Harper ran to the dug-out to prompt 71-year-old kit man Ron Grant to fulfil a pre-match promise by launching into what can loosely be described as 'break dancing'.

On the stroke of half-time it was nearly two as Doyle dispossessed Andy Todd down the left wing and raced goalwards, but from a very narrow angle Friedel was able to beat away the Irishman's low shot.

Blackburn had been outplayed in the opening period and Mark Hughes responded by bringing on Shabani Nonda at the interval and changing to a 4-4-2 formation.

The visitors had another goal disallowed for offside early in the second half, and again it was McCarthy who was unlucky after flicking home Pedersen's through ball. It was a real let-off for the Royals as replays showed that the South African was clearly onside when the pass was played.

Blackburn were reinvigorated and soon went close again when David Bentley's cross shot had to be well tipped away by Hahnemann from under his crossbar.

The visitors were well on top, but they were rightly denied a penalty after 55 minutes when McCarthy committed what looked like a blatant dive as he tried to evade Ibrahima Sonko. Referee Graham Poll wasn't fooled, waving play on.

Reading struggled to get going in the early stages of the half, and McCarthy had a hat-trick of offside goals on the hour when he reacted to a flick-on inside the box, and this time the flag had been raised correctly.

The warning sides were there, and eventually, on 64 minutes, McCarthy had the ball in the net without the flag being raised. Lucas Neill crossed from the right and the striker timed his run perfectly to dispatch a simple header past the helpless Hahnemann.

Blackburn continued to power forward, and two minutes later they nearly took the lead when Bentley cut in from the right and drove a superbly struck effort that Hahnemann did well to parry, diving to his right.

Steve Coppell's side finally rallied and had their first real attempt of the half on 72 minutes, when Little's excellent cross was turned goalwards by Ingimarsson at the near post, but Friedel held on well, and Coppell then introduced Leroy Lita for Seol.

Graeme Murty was deservedly booked for a late challenge on Gray as Blackburn continued to threaten.

Little was then replaced by Oster, but his first contribution was to concede possession to Bentley, who promptly ran 40 yards before unleashing a tremendously powerful drive that swerved viciously into the air and beat Hahnemann to fly high into the net.

Robbie Savage skied a chance to make it 3-1 after good build-up play by McCarthy, and time was running out for the home side.

Shane Long was introduced in place of Hunt as Coppell had a last throw of the dice, but Reading never really looked like getting back into the game and Blackburn claimed the points.