A sensational Sunderland performance resulted in three goals and three points in a brilliant win to move into 6th in the Championship.
The Black Cats went into the break two up thanks to goals from Patrick Roberts and had dominated possession. Sunderland made it three with a sensational team goal finished by Jack Clarke which capped off a magnificent night.
Tony Mowbray made one enforced change as Aji Alese made his first league start for the club; there was a first appearance on the bench for Costa Rican international Jewison Bennette.
Sunderland faced a tough ask at the Select Car Leasing Stadium with the host’s 100% record at home, and Mowbray was looking for his first away win as manager.
The Black Cats dominated possession in the early stages, but not creating anything and Reading seemed happy to let Sunderland have it and test the defence on the counter.
20 minutes into the game, Mowbray will have been pleased with his side's ability in possession and were in control of the game with Patrick Roberts and Dan Neil getting heavily involved.
Sunderland received a hammer blow as Ellis Simms was brought off with a foot injury and was replaced by Elliot Embleton.
Despite the loss of Simms, Sunderland went forward and scored an absolute beauty of a goal; Embleton played a lovely ball to Roberts wide right, who cut inside and curled a shot to perfection past Joe Lumley.
Sunderland were in dreamland - they worked it brilliantly again on the break; Embleton was brilliant in the build-up and, via a Neil dummy found Roberts, who beat a few men and fired home his second in less than three minutes.
It was a brilliant half from Sunderland who deservedly took a two-goal lead into the half time break.
Mowbray’s men were playing with confidence, and Neil found Roberts looking for a third, but his effort from range was comfortable for Lumley.
An hour in and Sunderland were still comfortable and were frustrating the hosts by not allowing them to find a rhythm in the game.
Sunderland were playing some magnificent stuff and made it three with a counter-attack you’d have done well to see in any of the Champions League action this week; Neil picked out Jack Clarke with a wonderful cross who shifted it onto his right foot and slammed it home.
Reading capitalised on a mistake by Lynden Gooch and should have got a goal back, but Yakou Meite blazed a shot over the bar.
Sunderland almost made it four as Amad Diallo won the ball high up and released Clarke, who tried to dink it over Lumley but skewed it wide.
Two of the substitutes combined as Diallo slipped it to Bennette and the youngster showed his pace and forced a save from Lumley.
Sunderland saw out the final stages comfortably and left reading with all three points in magnificent fashion and moved into the playoffs
Full Time: Reading 0-3 Sunderland
ALS Man of the Match: Patrick Roberts
Sunderland: Patterson, O'Nien, Batth, Alese, Gooch, Evans (Bennette 82’), Neil, Clarke, Roberts (Diallo 73’), Pritchard (Matete 73’), Simms (Embleton 37’)
Subs Not Used: Bass, Dajaku, Hume
