Taylor Gardner-Hickman celebrated his first senior goal to help West Brom win
Goals from Matt Phillips and Taylor Gardner-Hickman secured managerless West Bromwich Albion only their second Championship win of the season to deny Reading the chance to go joint top.
Following the sacking of Steve Bruce on Monday, interim Baggies boss Richard Beale could not have asked for a better start to his spell in charge.
Midfielder Matt Phillips opened the scoring midway through the first half with a fine strike after going past a Reading defender in the box.
The second goal came against the run of play, with the home side enjoying their best spell in attack, Taylor Gardner-Hickman dispossessing Jeff Hendrick and drilled his shot into the bottom corner for his first senior goal.
Victory sees the visitors move out of the relegation zone and up to 20th, with Reading dropping a place to sixth.
- Relive Saturday's EFL action
Heading into this fixture West Brom were eight games without a win and without a victory away from home this season, down in 22nd place.
They were in need of a spark but found it against a streaky Reading side that has struggled to maintain form of late.
Both sides were energetic from the opening whistle but it was the visitors who created more chances going forward.
Grady Diangana looked certain to double West Brom's lead at the beginning of the second half when he found the ball at his feet in the box but he was shut down by a Royals defender before he could get a shot away.
Reading then started having a real go and called West Brom's back four into action for the first time. Tom Ince with perhaps their best chance of the match beat his defender and fired a shot on target, but it was not enough to really trouble Alex Palmer - who made some decent saves to keep a clean sheet.
When Gardner-Hickman ran through and stole the ball from Jeff Hendrick the writing was on the wall. He repelled two closing defenders and drilled in the second goal before running off to celebrate in-front of the travelling fans.
Even under Bruce the Baggies were running games close, with eight draws to their name, and they have had no trouble scoring this season, with 19 goals now.
Reading boss Paul Ince, who did not travel with the team due to illness, will be disappointed as his side had only dropped five points from seven home Championship matches prior to this game.
- Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text
Line-upsReading
Formation 3-5-2
21Bouzanis17Yiadom3Holmes5McIntyre23Hoilett22Loum8Hendrick10Ince18Guinness-Walker2Carroll9Lucas João
- 21Bouzanis17Yiadom3Holmes5McIntyreBooked at 49mins23Hoilett22LoumBooked at 34mins8Hendrick10InceBooked at 16mins18Guinness-Walker2CarrollSubstituted forMeiteat 65'minutes9Lucas João
Substitutes
- 7Long11Meite19Fornah27Mbengue31Boyce-Clarke32Abbey46Senga-Ngoyi
West Brom
Formation 3-4-3
24Palmer4O'Shea16Kelly15Pieters10Phillips8Livermore29Gardner-Hickman3Townsend17J Wallace21Thomas-Asante11Diangana
- 24Palmer4O'Shea16Kelly15Pieters10PhillipsBooked at 60mins8LivermoreSubstituted forMolumbyat 80'minutes29Gardner-Hickman3Townsend17J WallaceSubstituted forYokusluat 80'minutes21Thomas-AsanteSubstituted forGrantat 66'minutes11DianganaSubstituted forClearyat 66'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Button2Furlong14Molumby18Grant19Swift28Cleary35Yokuslu
Referee:Tim RobinsonAttendance:14,235Match StatsHome TeamReadingAway TeamWest BromPossessionHome58%Away42%ShotsHome17Away9Shots on TargetHome6Away3CornersHome4Away7FoulsHome10Away11Live Text Post update
Match ends, Reading 0, West Bromwich Albion 2.
90'+5'Full Time
Second Half ends, Reading 0, West Bromwich Albion 2.
90'+5'Post update
Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Karlan Grant tries a through ball, but Matt Phillips is caught offside.
90'+4'Post update
Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Tom McIntyre.
90'+4'Post update
Attempt blocked. Karlan Grant (West Bromwich Albion) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Reyes Cleary.
90'+3'Post update
Jeff Hendrick (Reading) wins a free kick on the left wing.
90'+3'Post update
Foul by Dara O'Shea (West Bromwich Albion).
90'+1'Post update
Attempt missed. Tom Ince (Reading) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left from a direct free kick.
90'Post update
Tom Ince (Reading) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
90'Post update
Foul by Okay Yokuslu (West Bromwich Albion).
89'Post update
Attempt saved. Junior Hoilett (Reading) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner.
89'Post update
Attempt saved. Junior Hoilett (Reading) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Yakou Meite.
85'Post update
Attempt missed. Lucas João (Reading) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Junior Hoilett with a cross following a corner.
84'Post update
Corner, Reading. Conceded by Alex Palmer.
84'Post update
Attempt saved. Tom Ince (Reading) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
82'Post update
Yakou Meite (Reading) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
82'Post update
Foul by Dara O'Shea (West Bromwich Albion).
81'Post update
Attempt missed. Yakou Meite (Reading) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Tom Ince with a cross following a corner.
81'Post update
Attempt saved. Mamadou Loum (Reading) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
81'Post update
Attempt blocked. Jeff Hendrick (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Source: bbc.com