Reading manager Alan Pardew may have not have gone to bed until 4am after his side's midweek defeat by Leicester, but a ruthless attacking display at Turf Moor ensured he will sleep easy after this game.

Steve Sidwell and John Salako grabbed a brace apiece in what turned into a demolition, and substitute Darius Henderson made the most of an obliging Burnley defence with the fifth goal a minute into stoppage time.

Ian Moore and Dean West's strikes, the latter in the dying seconds of the game, were the only bright spots on an otherwise dismal afternoon for the home supporters, who demonstrated their anger at several contentious decisions by throwing missiles on to the pitch in the second half.

Not only did the maximum-point haul help banish the ghosts of Tuesday night, when Pardew watched his team go down 3-1, but it gave Reading a first away since November.

Burnley manager Stan Ternent, on the other hand, is left to pick up the pieces of a shattered unbeaten run of seven games, while trying to shore up a defence that has leaked four goals or more four times this season.

Ricky Newman had already wasted a decent opportunity by the time Glen Little replaced Mark McGregor in the 23rd minute - Burnley were struggling to cope with a five-man Reading midfield - and long-range strikes from James Harper and Nicky Forster underlined the visitors' superiority.

Gareth Taylor and West responded for Burnley, but their wayward attempts left the crowd with little to cheer as the match meandered along.

They were given plenty of reason to jeer, however, when a poor decision by the assistant referee - he awarded Reading a throw-in when Paul Cook kept the ball in play - gave Harper the chance to release Sidwell.

The former Arsenal striker, a bundle of energy throughout the half, broke clear before slipping the ball under goalkeeper Marlon Beresford's body, leaving the official with a crescendo of boos ringing in his ears.

If Burnley felt aggrieved to have fallen behind, they could have little complaint with Reading's second goal.

Salako latched on to a hopeful ball from Harper, cut inside Little and found the far corner of Beresford's net with a fine, curling shot.

Salako effectively put the game beyond Burnley's reach seven minutes after the restart, meeting Andy Hughes' cross with a firm volley.

Moore's goal, a predatory close-range strike after West's free-kick had hit the Reading wall, proved Burnley had not given up hope.

But, despite concerted pressure throughout the remainder of the half, the fairytale comeback did not materialise.

Instead, Burnley fans were subjected to more misery when Dimitri Papadopoulos' penalty - awarded for handball against Adie Williams - was saved by Marcus Hahnemann, and referee Roy Pearson penalised Beresford for a trip on Henderson, whose dramatic dive earned him the wrath of the home fans.

Sidwell succeeded where Papadopoulos had failed by converted the resulting spot-kick, and West's stunning late strike, drilled into the top corner from just outside the penalty area, at least served to cheer the departing Burnley fans after Henderson had grabbed a fifth for Reading.

Teams

Burnley Beresford, West, Diallo, Gnohere, McGregor (Little 24), Briscoe (Alan Moore 45), Cook, Grant, Ian Moore, Blake (Papadopoulos 69), Taylor.

Subs Not Used: Michopoulos, Cox.

Booked: Beresford.

Goals: Ian Moore 55, West 90.

Reading Hahnemann, Murty, Williams, Brown, Shorey, Salako, Harper (Mackie 75), Sidwell, Hughes (Henderson 76), Newman, Forster.

Subs Not Used: Cureton, Ashdown, Tyson.

Booked: Brown, Salako, Murty.

Goals: Sidwell 37, Salako 45, 52, Sidwell 79, Henderson 90.

Att: 14,420

Ref: R Pearson (Co Durham).