Cardiff City 2-5 Reading

Reading can hit five goals at home easily enough and yesterday the side proved that doing it away from home is well within their capabilities, this time Cardiff were the victims.

Sunderland?s record number of points for the division looks to be under doubt as the Royals march on to the Premiership, we?re on 98 points now, just another eight to get.

But while the result of this game left Reading well on their way to breaking another record in this dream season, it also means that Cardiff?s hopes of reaching the play offs are all but over.

Steve Coppell said their was going to be no let up just because the title was sealed, and he fielded his strongest team for this one and it only took ten minutes for the visitors to take the lead. It was a simple goal, Convety put in the cross and Harper diverted the ball beyond the keeper for 1-0 and Harper?s sixth of the season.

Cardiff then had several chances to equalise with Koumas, Ledley and Cooper all coming close but couldn?t find the target.

And Cardiff were left to rue their inability to take their chances when Dave Kitson struck in the 39th minute with his 16th league goal of the season, Shorey set him up and Kitson beat the keeper with his left foot.

The second half started with Reading looking for a third goal, Sidwell and Doyle having the best chances but couldn?t put them away, so they had help from Loovens who made contact with a Convey cross and the ball went past the keeper for 3-0.

Parry replaced Cooper and Cardiff started to get back into it, Koumas put in a cross, Jerome controlled it well and fired past Hahnemann to make it 3-1.

It then looked like it may all come apart for Reading when the substitute Parry headed past the keeper with ten minutes of the game left.

But there was no real danger of the worst happening and when Doyle headed home the fourth on 87 minutes and Harper finished things off in injury time, Cardiff looked a well beaten side.

Cardiff: Alexander, Ardley, Purse, Loovens, Scimeca, Koumas,Boland, Ledley, Cooper (Parry 65), Thompson, Jerome.

Subs Not Used: Barker, Whitley, Cox, Ndumbu-Nsungu.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey,Oster (Gunnarsson 89), Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Hunt 75),Kitson (Long 68), Doyle.

Subs Not Used: Stack, Makin.

Att: 11,866

Ref: A Leake (Lancashire).