Sunderland made light of a worrying injury to Ellis Simms as they blew Reading away at the Madejski Stadium. The Black Cats, who already face at least six weeks without top scorer Ross Stewart, saw Simms - their only remaining senior striker - limp out of the action before half-time against the Royals, and if he is injured for any length of time it will be a major concern for boss Tony Mowbray.
But despite that setback, Patrick Roberts scored twice in as many minutes before half-time to set Sunderland on their way to victory. And 20 minutes from time, Jack Clarke finished a brilliant team move to ensure their was no way back for the home side.
It was an excellent away performance from Sunderland who fully deserved their win, and it lifted them up to sixth place in the Championship table. Mowbray made one change to the side that started the defeat at Middlesbrough, with defender Aji Alese making his first league start for the club in place of Dennis Cirkin, who missed out with a hamstring injury.
PLAYER RATINGS: Roberts, Embleton, and Pritchard all shine for Black Cats: Reading 0-3 Sunderland player ratings
Stewart had pulled out of the game against Boro after suffering a thigh injury in the warm-up with Roberts starting instead, and Roberts retained his place against Reading. Reading boss Paul Ince also made one change, in his case to the side that won at home against Stoke City last time out, with Mamadou Loum coming in for the injured Shane Long.
After an impeccably-observed minute's silence in memory of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and a rendition of the national anthem, Sunderland were by far the better team in the first half, dominating possession although without offering a serious threat until shortly before half-time. They had generally kept Reading on the back foot, but despite winning a slew of corners, their only effort in the opening 25 minutes was a wild shot from Dan Neil on the edge of the box which went high over the bar.
Just before the half-hour, good work from Roberts led to Simms seeing a shot blocked behind for a corner - although the striker picked up an injury in the process. He tried to continue but, after going down three times to receive treatment, he eventually limped off to be replaced by Elliot Embleton and that meant a reshuffle, with Alex Pritchard moving up front with Embleton playing off him, and the side switching to a back four.
Embleton made an immediate impact, and in the 39th minute he started a move on the edge of his own penalty area before releasing Roberts wide on the right. Roberts collected the ball and cut into the box box before placing his shot beyond Joe Lumley into the bottom left-hand corner.
Two minutes later, Roberts doubled Sunderland's lead. Embleton was the provider again, this time playing a low ball into the box from the left which Neil stepped over to leave it for Roberts, and his first touch took him past one defender and he steered his finish into that same bottom left-hand corner.
Reading barely offered any threat in the opening 45 minutes, with only a header from Loum and Tom Ince's low shot bringing any kind of save out of Anthony Patterson, and both were routine stops. In the second half, the game was scrappier and Reading showed some extra fight, although still without asking any real questions of Patterson.
Roberts, who was chasing a hat-trick, sent a tame shot straight at Lumley from outside the box. And at the other end Tyrese Fornah sent a shot over the bar from the edge of the box.
Sunderland's third goal came on 69 minutes and it was a thing of beauty. Neil's ball around the corner on the right-hand touchline was flicked by Roberts into the path of Pritchard, he threaded it through to release Neil and he played an early ball across the box for Clarke, whose first touch took him inside Andy Yiadom and before he finished with his right foot from around 12 yards out. Sunderland could have added further goals, with Clarke bursting into the box down the left and dinking his shot over the advancing Lumley but it dropped wide of the right-hand post.
And Costa Rica international Jewison Bennette, who made his debut from the bench, forced Lumley to save with his feet.
How they lined up
Reading: Lumley, Holmes, Hutchinson (Meite 65), McIntyre, Hoilett, Fornah, Hendrick, Ince, Yiadom, Joao, Loum (Rahman 46). Subs not used: Bouzanis, Guinness-Walker, Abrefa, Ehibhatiomhan, Craig
Booked: Yiadom
Sunderland: Patterson, O'Nien, Batth, Alese, Gooch, Evans (Bennette 82), Neil, Clarke, Roberts (Matete 73), Pritchard (Diallo 73), Simms (Embleton 37). Subs not used: Bass, Dajaku, Bennette, Hume
Booked: Alese
Referee: Matt Donohue (Manchester)
Attendance:
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