Reading broke the 100-point barrier in the Coca-Cola Championship as their Premiership-bound bandwagon rolled over Stoke.

The Royals were low-key for much of the early part of this Madejski Stadium encounter and led at the interval thanks to Steve Sidwell's 25th-minute header.

But after the break they turned on the style to move within sight of Sunderland's all-time points record of 105 in the second tier as Kevin Doyle from the penalty spot and John Halls wrapped up the win.

Reading, of course, are already guaranteed their passage to the top flight having wrapped up the title with room to spare.

But it was a case of after the Lord Mayor's Show for much of the opening period as both sides struggled to get going.

A low Sidwell drive after four minutes would have counted as the first chance of the afternoon had Stoke defender Michael Duberry not done enough to get his body in the way to block.

But after that the game degenerated into stalemate as both sides swamped the midfield.

It was fully 20 minutes later before the only significant goalmouth action of the half arrived but as has happened so often this season, when the chance came the Royals were clinical.

Sidwell has been the creative force behind their march towards the Premiership and he showed just why he has been attracting admiring glances from the top flight with an expertly-worked goal to break the deadlock.

It was a strike straight off the training ground as Ivar Ingimarsson whipped in a curling free-kick from the left channel and Sidwell stole in to thump his header beyond Steve Simonsen.

That was just what the game needed and briefly Sidwell and Stephen Hunt began to spark the Royals.

But it was an all-too-brief response as Stoke soon piled men behind the ball once again to stifle the action.

After the break the game finally burst into life and after 54 minutes Doyle struck from the penalty spot to increase Reading's lead.

The Irishman carved out the opportunity himself when he was bundled over by Carl Hoefkens in the box and when he stepped up to blast the resulting spot-kick into the bottom corner Simonsen had no chance.

Stoke, though, are a resilient side under Johan Boskamp these days and within four minutes they were back in with a shout as Adam Rooney turned the ball home from close range.

Just three minutes later, however, the cushion was restored when Hunt flung in the ball and Halls made no mistake from six yards out.

After 67 minutes Shane Long should have made it four as his header flashed past the right-hand post but in the end it mattered little.

Teams

Reading: Stack, Shorey (Golbourne 64), Makin, Sonko, Halls,Ingimarsson, Sidwell (Dobson 54), Gunnarsson, Hunt,Doyle (Cox 71), Long.

Subs Not Used: Hahnemann, Kitson.

Goals: Sidwell 25, Doyle 56 pen, Halls 62.

Stoke: Simonsen, Hoefkens, Dickinson, Duberry, Hill, Mbuyi,Kopteff (Rooney 45), Brammer, Russell, Sweeney (Gallagher 51),Bangoura (Henry 71).

Subs Not Used: de Goey, Broomes.

Goals: Rooney 59.

Att: 22,119

Ref: S Mathieson (Cheshire).