Reading further underlined their Championship promotion credentials with a comfortable victory over out-of-form Bournemouth.
The hosts opened the scoring before the hour mark when Josh Laurent latched on to a loose ball in the box from a Michael Olise corner kick. Defender Tom McIntyre, deputising for the injured Michael Moore put Reading 2-0 up when Asmir Begovic’s poor save from Olise’s free-kick squirmed into the path of the defender to prod home into an empty net.
Embed from Getty ImagesAgain, Bournemouth were made to pay for their slack defending, Lucas João received a lovely slide-rule pass from Ovie Ejaria, weaving past Steve Cook before firing in his 15th league goal of the campaign.
Bournemouth, who brought on Jack Wilshere, David Brooks and Adam Smith pushed to get back into the game but could not instigate a meaningful comeback.
Steve Cook and Josh King were both denied by fine blocks on the line from Reading full-back Tom Holmes before Philip Billing and Cook forced goalkeeper Rafael into some good saves.
The visitors finally grabbed their consolation goal from a Stanislas free-kick five minutes from time, but it wasn’t enough. A third successive league defeat for Bournemouth leaves them sixth and with only one victory from their past seven games.
The result means Reading go level on points with Swansea in the automatic promotion places making it five games unbeaten.
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