Reading began the new year with a bang by stretching their lead at the top of the Coca-Cola Championship to 10 points with a 5-1 win over Cardiff.

Headed first-half goals from Steve Sidwell and Ibrahima Sonko put the Royals firmly in control at the break.

Leading scorer Dave Kitson poked in the third, and Sidwell headed his second of the afternoon either side of the Bluebirds' only goal from Cameron Jerome.

Kitson completed the scoring with a penalty after Cardiff captain Darren Purse handled inside the box as Reading extended their unbeaten run to a club record 27 league games.

Cardiff started brightest and set their stall out early on, laying siege to the Reading goal.

On-loan West Brom midfielder Jason Koumas stung the palms of Marcus Hahnemann in the Reading goal after just three minutes with a fierce left-footed drive from just outside the box.

Soon afterwards Jeff Whitley poked a Joe Ledley cross past the post.

Whitley again went close with a volley from the edge of the area which left Hahnemann rooted to the spot.

But the Bluebirds' best chance was still to come when Jerome linked up well with strike partner Alan Lee.

A neat one-two carved open the Reading defence as Lee bore down on goal, but USA international Hahnemann saved with his legs when exposed one-on-one.

It was from that save that the game turned as Reading broke and opened the scoring against the run of play on 11 minutes.

The ball found its way out to Little, who ran at the Cardiff defence and clipped an inch-perfect ball into the box for Sidwell to round off a swift Royals counter-attack by heading home.

It was harsh on Dave Jones' side.

Their immediate response was good, and Koumas tested Hahnemann once more only for his shot from range to be well smothered by the big goalkeeper.

After that it was all Reading, and Cardiff had goalkeeper Neil Alexander to thank for keeping them in the game.

The Scottish goalkeeper produced a string of saves - most notably to deny Kitson and Kevin Doyle - before repelling a powerful Ivar Ingimarsson header just before the half-hour.

However, there was little Alexander could do to keep out the second goal.

Sonko, set to snub a call-up to Senegal's African Cup of Nations squad in favour of helping Reading in their push for promotion, doubled the lead when he got on the end of Nicky Shorey's free-kick to head only his second goal of the season.

Doyle might have added a third on the stroke of half-time, but Alexander denied the Irishman his third goal in three matches.

Soon after the break Kitson added a third on his return to the starting line-up after missing the New Year's Eve draw at Derby with cramp in his hamstring.

The prolific striker bagged his 14th goal of the campaign following another Little centre, stabbing the ball home from inside the six-yard box after Joe Ledley had failed to intercept the cross at the near post.

Jerome pulled one back with a tidy finish from just inside the area, finding the corner with a low shot after 62 minutes.

But Sidwell restored the three-goal advantage just 10 minutes later when he headed home Shorey's right-wing cross.

Kitson drilled home a 76th minute penalty to seal the win as Steve Coppell's side notched their sixth consecutive home win.

Teams

Reading Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Little (Oster 76), Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Hunt 72), Kitson (Long 76), Doyle.

Subs Not Used: Stack, Gunnarsson.

Goals: Sidwell 11, Sonko 32, Kitson 51, Sidwell 71, Kitson 76 pen.

Cardiff Alexander, Weston (Darlington 82), Barker, Purse, Loovens, Koumas, Whitley, Ledley, Cooper (Ardley 58), Lee, Jerome.

Subs Not Used: Margetson, Cox, Ricketts.

Booked: Alexander.

Goals: Jerome 62.

Att: 22,061

Ref: R Olivier (W Midlands).