Patrick Roberts' late strike earned Sunderland a deserved win against Reading at the Stadium of Light - and brought the Black Cats to within a point of the play-off places. After a dire first half played at a slow tempo with Reading seemingly determined to waste time at every opportunity, the second period was a major improvement.
But chances came and went for Tony Mowbray's men and as the game entered its final ten minutes it looked like it might be one of those days. That was until Roberts opened Reading up down the right-hand side five minutes from the end, and scored the only goal of the game.
It was the third time he has scored against Reading this season, having scored twice in the 3-0 win at the Madejski Stadium back in September. And his goal on Wearside was enough to lift Sunderland to seventh place in the table where they are hard on the heels of Watford, who are one place and one point above them.
READ MORE: Sunderland 1-0 Reading: Highlights and reaction as Roberts' late strike earns all three points
Mowbray reverted to the same line-up that started last weekend's league draw at Millwall with on-loan Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt - who had been cup-tied for the midweek FA Cup replay against Fulham - returning to the side to make his home debut, and with Abdoullah Ba dropping to the bench. Mowbray gave a debut to January signing Isaac Lihadji, with the ex-Lille man coming on as a sub in the second half.
Reading boss Paul Ince made three changes, in his case to the side that started last weekend's Championship draw against Watford. Former Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll came into the side, along with Baba Rahman and Naby Sarr, with Tom Holmes, Cesare Casadei, and Mamadou Loum making way.
The first half was a poor spectacle, with Reading determined to waste time at every opportunity and proving very effective at it. For their part, Sunderland looked low on energy and played without the urgency and attacking verve that has become their trademark.
The Black Cats gave Reading a chance inside the opening minute when Shane Long intercepted a loose pass just outside the box and fed Tom Ince, but his low shot went wide of the right-hand post. At the other end, midway through the half, a Roberts free-kick from the left flank was met by Dan Ballard but his header went over the bar.
And ten minutes later Aji Alese headed over the top, again from a Roberts free-kick. Gelhardt saw a tame header saved by Joe Lumley, but it was virtually the only involvement for the Reading keeper aside from fielding the occasional backpass.
But Sunderland improved markedly in the second half, and carved out several good chances. Five minutes after the restart, Edouard Michut's throughball released Gelhardt through the middle and he got into the penalty area before steering his shot beyond the oncoming Lumley, but also a yard wide of the right-hand post.
Then Roberts clipped a ball over the defence and Alese did brilliantly to bring it down, only to send his shot over the bar when he should have done better. On the hour, a rapid counter-attack saw Roberts thread the ball through for Trai Hume inside the box on the left but his shot was blocked by Lumley, and a defender managed to scramble it behind before Hume could have a second attempt.
And midway through the second period, Lumley was there again to parry a shot from Roberts and when the loose ball came to Alese he could not force the rebound home and eventually Reading were able to put it behind for another corner. Michut then blazed over the bar from inside the box after controlling the ball following a poor punch from Lumley.
And Roberts sent a shot just over the top from the edge of the box after beeing teed-up by Clarke. Sunderland finally made the breakthrough on 84 minutes, and it was Roberts who unlocked the door.
He executed a one-two with Hume down the right to get into the box and then robbed a defender who looked to have stopped the attack, before sending his left-foot finish past the helpless Lumley at his near post.
Ince sent a shot over the bar as Reading looked for an equaliser. And the visitors were lucky to end the game with 11 men on the field when Yakou Meite escaped with a yellow card for what looked like a clear elbow on Dan Ballard in injury-time.
How they lined up
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, Batth, Alese, Neil (O'Nien 75), Michut (Ba 81), Roberts, Amad (Pritchard 65), Clarke (Bennette 81), Gelhardt (Lihadji 75). Subs not used: Bass, Ekwah
Reading: Lumley, Yiadom, Sarr, Mbengue, Hoilett (Dann 78), Ince, McIntyre (Fornah 87), Hendrick, Baba (Azeez 87), Long (Meite 78), Carroll. Subs not used: Bouzanis, Guinness-Walker, Casadei
Booked: Yiadom, Meite
Referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire)
Attendance: 38,046
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