Two late goals from Reading's top scorer Dave Kitson rocked Sunderland's title
ambitions at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats dominated the first half against the play-off chasing Royals
but had to wait until the 52nd minute when Julio Arca opened the scoring.
They had kicked off boasting a record of eight consecutive wins and after the
Argentinian midfielder gave them a deserved lead they looked on course to extend
this.
But they did not reckon on Steve Coppell's men who battled back and shocked
the home fans when Kitson profited from lax defending to bolster their own
play-off ambitions and complete the double over Mick McCarthy's side.
Sunderland started the brighter of the two teams and put the Reading defence
under immediate pressure as Liam Lawrence whipped in two successive corners in
the opening minutes.
Both were cleared comfortably but the home side had set the tempo and Arca's
threaded through-ball was only marginally too strong for the advancing Marcus
Stewart.
Another Lawrence corner in the 10th minute was met by Carl Robinson and
appeared to be heading for goal only for a Reading defender to deflect it
behind.
It was all Sunderland as the Royals were forced to defend in the opening
quarter of an hour. Good work by Chris Brown resulted in the big striker turning
his man and supplying a teasing ball from the right flank which his forward
partner Stewart got on the end of but Marcus Hahnemann saved.
Reading's first opportunity came when Paul Brooker scampered down the left
wing and supplied a ball which Steve Sidwell could only lash over the bar.
But the Black Cats should have taken the lead in the 24th minute when a cross
from Stephen Wright found its way to Arca at the back post. The dangerous
Argentinian fired in a shot but Hahnemann was equal to it and turned it behind
at the expense of a corner.
Arca was proving a constant menace down the left flank with his excellent
range of passing and another perfectly weighted through-ball sent Dean Whitehead
on his way in the 32nd minute. The midfielder advanced on goal but Reading's
American keeper spotted the danger early and pulled off another save.
But the home side came so close to breaking the deadlock a minute before
half-time as Lawrence's looping free-kick was met by the head of Robinson.
Hahnemann was beaten but the effort glanced off the crossbar and away to
safety.
The second half opened with Michael Ingham replacing Thomas Myhre, who was
suffering with a back problem, in the Sunderland goal.
Again the Black Cats were given a good opportunity to take the lead after
Royals midfielder James Harper was robbed of the ball in midfield. This left
Arca through on goal but again Hahnemann was on hand to smother the shot.
But Reading's luck did not last long as having failed to clear their lines,
Stewart's right-wing cross was flicked on by Royals defender Ibrahima Sonko to
find Arca at the back post. He had the simple task of heading home for a goal
that Sunderland fully deserved.
This seemed to wake the visitors from their slumbers and at the other end a
Ivar Ingimarsson free-kick was headed straight into the arms of Ingham by top
scorer Kitson.
Kitson again was inches away from a Graeme Murty cross in the 62nd minute and
they embarked on a period of pressure which resulted in the equaliser in the
76th minute.
It was a sloppy one for Sunderland to concede as a long ball caused chaos in
their defence allowing Kitson to steer the ball past Ingham for his 18th goal of
the season.
The Royals were in the ascendancy now and four minutes later another long
through-ball allowed Sidwell to march through on goal. The midfielder flew into
the penalty area and was chopped down by Sunderland substitute Jeff Whitley for
a penalty.
Up stepped Kitson and the flame-haired striker smashed the ball past Ingham to
give his side the lead.
Whitley tried to redeem himself in the 88th minute but his 25-yard shot
flashed wide of goal, while an Arca cross a minute later was headed just wide by
Whitehead.
Whitehead then flashed a free-kick over the crossbar in injury-time in what
was Sunderland's final chance to salvage a point.
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