JASON Roberts returned to the Championship to sink Bristol City and power Reading back into the play-off places.
Signed from Premier League Blackburn Rovers just 48 hours earlier, the former Bristol Rovers man proved the difference between these two sides in a hard-fought tussle at the Madejski Stadium.
Renewing an old rivalry with Robins captain Louis Carey, the 33-year-old striker had the last laugh when going down under pressure from the Bristolian to win a penalty 11 minutes into the second half.
Referee Pat Miller had no option but to point to the spot and then issue Carey with a straight red card. Roberts stepped up to take the penalty and, although David James saved his initial effort, he followed up to bundle in the winner and register only his second goal of the season.
City's 10 men pressed hard for an equaliser and it almost came when Albert Adomah sent a rising shot against the cross bar in the 66th minute.
Reading had an opportunity to double their lead in the closing moments when Tomasz Zywka was brought down by auxilliary left-back Stephen Pearson and referee Miller again pointed to the spot. But James made a tremendous fingertip save to push Jobi McAnuff's spot kick against the post and behind for a corner.
Encouraged by last weekend's 2-1 home victory over Doncaster, City picked up where they had left off by making the early running at the Madejski Stadium.
Restored to the starting line-up and determined to prove a point to Robins manager Derek McInnes, Ryan McGivern powered his way behind the Royals defence and delivered a telling cross towards Chris Wood. The striker sent his header into the ground and keeper Adam Federici had to make an acrobatic save to keep the home side on level terms.
Stephen Pearson was next to test Federici, the keeper going full-length to turn a speculative 20 yard shot behind, while Albert Adomah sent a cross-***-shot skidding inches beyond the far post as the Robins continued to dictate terms.
This has been a big week for Reading and their fans were in buoyant mood following the announcement of a multi-million takeover bid by Thames Sport Investment supremo Anton Zingarevich.
His spending power enhanced by the deal, Royals boss Brian McDermott recruited Roberts from Blackburn Rovers on Thursday and handed the 33-year-old his debut. And the former Bristol Rovers man soon demonstrated his Premier League class, shaking off two defenders and sending over a centre that narrowly eluded Michail Antonio.
When Reading finally awoke from their slumbers, it was Roberts and Antonio who threatened to give them the lead. James thrust out a leg to make a superb save from Antonio's initial shot and McGivern put his body on the line to effect a crucial clearance when Roberts followed up.
Roberts was certainly making his presence felt and he shrugged off another challenge to invite Stephen Hunt to pick out McAnuff, whose header at the back post sailed over the cross bar.
Antonio was causing City a problem down their left flank and a full-stretch Hunt narrowly failed to apply a finishing touch to the winger's low centre midway through the first half.
Having withstood heavy pressure, City almost took the lead themselves, Wood forcing Federici to spread himself and make an important block at point-blank range after a centre from Richard Foster panicked the Reading defence.
Unable to maintain their earlier pressure, the Royals were forced to try their luck at long-range pot shots, the best of these coming from Kaspars Gorkss moments before the interval.
City began the second half on the front foot and should have been in front in the 47th minute. Yannick Bolasie finally got the better of Shaun Cummings and Wood met his teasing cross with his head six yards out, only to direct the ball straight into the arms of Federici.
The visitors were left to rue that miss when, eight minutes later, Carey hauled down Roberts inside the 18 yard box and referee Pat Miller awarded a penalty. Deeming Carey to be the last man, he then showed City's captain a straight red card.
To make matters worse for the Robins, Roberts picked himself up to score from the spot, but only after James had saved his first effort.
City boss McInnes immediately sacrificed winger Bolasie, sending on James Wilson to plug the gap in central defence created by Carey's premature departure.
But Reading continued to pose a threat and Roberts, twisting and turning with his back to goal, engineered room for a shot which flashed inches wide.
City's 10 men were far from beaten, though, and they almost equalised on 66 minutes. Wood led a breakaway, held the ball up until support arrived and then fed Adomah, whose first-time shot came back off the cross bar and was cleared to safety.
But the visitors were indebted to James, who saved McAnuff's late penalty after Pearson had brought down substitute Cywka inside the box.
Reading (4-4-2): Federici; Cummings, Griffin, Gorkss, Pearce; Antonio (Cywka 82), Tabb, Karacan, McAnuff; Roberts (Church 77), Hunt.
City (4-5-1): James; Foster, Carey, Nyatanga, McGivern (Maynard 86); Adomah, Skuse, Cisse (Kilkenny 87), Pearson, Bolasie (Wilson 58); Wood.
Referee: Pat Miller (Bedfordshire)
Attendance: 17,825
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