Reading will be at home in the second leg First Division play-offs with a comfortable victory against Watford at Vicarage Road.

Tony Rougier, making his first start since January, opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a firm downward header, and Darius Henderson added a second from close-range with 20 minutes remaining.

Substitute Jamie Cureton lashed home a stunning third to seal the points in injury-time.

The result puts Alan Pardew's men clear in fourth spot and ensures a second-leg date at the Madejski Stadium against Wolves or Nottingham Forest.

Both sides made wholesale changes to their starting line-ups, with the return of Micah Hyde and Paulo Vernazza just two of five changes for Watford.

Reading went one better, with Pardew partnering Nathan Tyson and Henderson in attack after leading scorer Nicky Forster failed to recover from a calf injury.

Allan Nielsen forced Marcus Hahnemann into the first save of the evening from a fierce 20-yard drive, before the Royals took the lead from their first chance of the game.

Ricky Newman crossed from the left for Rougier to head past goalkeeper Alec Chamberlain for his fifth goal of the season.

Jason Norville sent a shot inches past the post in the 28th minute as Watford looked for a quick response, but the visitors were dominating, with Newman, Tyson and Hughes all coming close before the break.

Watford started the second half brightly as Hyde forced Hahnemann into a fine diving stop with a volley from distance, before Tommy Smith let fly with a stunning 30-yard effort that whistled inches wide.

Defender Sean Dyche then spurned a golden chance to equalise on the hour, heading a Neal Ardley corner straight into the arms of Hahnemann from close in.

The home side continued to push forward, with Gavin Mahon next to try his luck from 25 yards out, but it was Reading who snatched a second goal against the run of play in the 70th minute.

Cureton's first contribution of the game after coming on as a substitute for Rougier was an inviting cross from which Henderson slammed home.

Watford tried in vain to get back into the game as substitute striker Scott Fitzgerald was denied twice in quick succession by Hahnemann, but it was the Royals who had the last word in emphatic fashion.

Cureton collected Henderson's knock-down 25 yards from goal and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner with Chamberlain stranded.