Reading beat Stevenage 1-0 thanks to a first-half strike by Charlie Savage that gave new Royals boss Leam Richardson victory in his first league match in charge. The midfielder curled home what proved to be the winning goal inside the opening five minutes.
Fourth-placed Stevenage would have gone top of League One with a win but instead slipped to a third game without victory. Reading, who began the night just one place above the bottom four, climbed up to 12th.
A Decisive Opening
Reading started brightly as Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan had a header cleared off the line, and the early pressure soon told. After a goalmouth scramble, Savage collected the loose ball in the left corner of the box and sweetly struck home with his right foot into the far side netting for his first goal of the season.