Reading set a new record points tally in the second-tier of English football to sink a resilient QPR side and thrill a sell-out crowd at the Madejski Stadium.

Graeme Murty's late penalty separated the sides in an entertaining encounter and took the Royals to 106 points, beating the 105 points amassed by Sunderland in the 1998-99 season.

Dave Kitson's 22nd goal of the season looked to have paved the way to a routine victory for Steve Coppell's side until veteran striker Paul Furlong rolled back the years and threatened to spoil the promotion party with a neat second-half strike.

But Murty's coolly-converted spot-kick - Reading's 99th goal of the season - ensured the Berkshire side bowed out of the Championship in thrilling fashion as they now steel themselves for life in the Premiership.

Coppell's men may have appeared refreshed after a five-day break in Spain - a reward for clinching the Championship title in emphatic fashion - but it was the visitors who created a flurry of early opportunities.

Evergreen striker Furlong first planted a firm header over the crossbar before Richard Langley - playing his last games for the club before his summer exit - crashed a 20-yard free-kick inches over.

Furlong continued to look threatening as he drilled an effort straight at goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann after bursting into the penalty area before the home side finally mustered an opening.

Talismanic striker Kevin Doyle fired a shot straight at goalkeeper Paul Jones who could only parry the ball into the path of Nicky Shorey but the defender skewed wide.

Hahnemann needed to be alert to punch away a rasping drive from Furlong just after the half-hour mark before Kitson broke QPR's resilience five minutes before the interval.

Winger John Oster's neat cut-back on the right flank found the unmarked Kitson and the 26-year-old made no mistake from barely eight yards out.

Uncompromising Rangers defender Georges Santos - also set to leave the club in the summer - tamely headed Langley's teasing corner over straight after the restart as Gary Waddock's side searched for an equaliser.

Stefan Bailey and Lee Cook both failed to test Hahnemann shortly after with speculative efforts as the Loftus Road outfit struggled to gain any attacking momentum.

Substitute goalkeeper Jake Cole - who replaced the injured Jones at half-time - denied Kitson his second of the afternoon on the hour mark as he clawed away his rifled effort from the edge of the penalty area.

The champions were left to rue early missed chances as Rangers deservedly levelled the scores with 20 minutes remaining.

Substitute Ray Jones rose well to flick the ball to the waiting Furlong and from 12 yards the 37-year-old slotted the ball past the hapless Hahnemann.

Furlong's seventh goal of the campaign sparked a frantic finale to the game as Dan Shittu had a goal disallowed while Stephen Hunt had an acrobatic effort parried away by Cole at the other end, as the action flowed effortlessly from end to end.

But, with just 10 minutes left, the game turned on its head again as Langley was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball and Murty coolly rifled the subsequent spot-kick into the top corner of the net to spark a riotous promotion party.

Teams

Reading Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey,Convey (Gunnarsson 85), Harper, Sidwell, Oster (Hunt 61),Doyle (Long 85), Kitson.

Subs Not Used: Stack, Makin.

Goals: Kitson 40, Murty 84 pen.

QPR Paul Jones (Cole 45), Bignot, Shittu, Santos, Milanese,Ainsworth, Cook, Bailey (Ray Jones 68), Langley, Donnelly,Furlong.

Subs Not Used: Evatt, Munday, Howell.

Goals: Furlong 72.

Att: 23,156

Ref: D Drysdale (Lincolnshire).