Middlesbrough end Royals run

Middlesbrough strikers Mark Viduka and Ayegbeni Yakubu combined to sink Reading 2-1 at the Riverside Stadium and deliver a lesson in finishing.

Viduka's seventh-minute strike and a superb 69th-minute finish from Yakubu handed the Royals their first defeat in 10 Barclays Premiership games.

Reading rallied in the second half, but Leroy Lita wasted a glorious opportunity and substitute John Oster's late goal was little consolation.

Boro went ahead within seven minutes when, after Emanuel Pogatetz had headed down Stewart Downing's free-kick, Viduka took a touch before back-heeling a shot past the stranded Marcus Hahnemann.

There were muted appeals for a penalty in the 20th minute when Yakubu and Michael Duberry went to ground as they chased down George Boateng's ball into the box, and then the former Leeds defender got a touch to Andrew Taylor's cross which left Hahnemann having to make a tricky save.

Shane Long might have levelled a minute before the break, but missed the target, and Hahnemann had to make another save in injury time to keep out Downing's curling free-kick.

Hahnemann gratefully clutched a Viduka piledriver to his midriff on 51 minutes, but the Teessiders had a let-off seconds later when Stephen Hunt squared for Lita, who mishit his effort from 18 yards.

Just as it looked as though the equaliser was imminent, Yakubu ran onto Viduka's pass and blasted a left-foot shot into the roof of the net.

Substitute Dave Kitson thumped a volley just over, but it was not until Boro boss Gareth Southgate had handed South Korea international Dong Gook Lee a senior debut - with five minutes to go - that the visitors finally for their reward.

Oster's 87th-minute strike ensured a tense finish, but Lee almost scored with an injury-time volley which hit the post.