Reading 0-2 Bournemouth: Dominic Solanke and Jamal Lowe goals restore Cherries' five-point lead
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Dominic Solanke has scored 12 goals this season
Championship leaders Bournemouth extended their unbeaten start to 15 matches with a hard-fought win at Reading.
The Cherries went ahead at the end of an even first half when Gary Cahill headed a far-post corner back across the box to Dominic Solanke whose downward header bounced past three Reading players on the goal-line.
Second-half substitute Jamal Lowe doubled the lead just three minutes after coming on, cutting into the box and placing a low shot across goalkeeper Luke Southwood and into the far corner of the net.
Scott Dann went closest for the Royals, forcing Cherries goalkeeper Mark Travers into a full-stretch save in stoppage time with a flicked header.
Bournemouth - enjoying their best-ever start in the top two tiers - remain the EFL's only unbeaten side after an 11th win in 15 matches, while a third straight defeat leaves a depleted Reading in 16th.
Scott Parker's side remain five points clear of second-placed Fulham, who beat West Brom earlier on Saturday, and nine points ahead of the Baggies, in third.
The Cherries have kept seven successive away clean sheets, but that looked in jeopardy early on against a high tempo Reading start as George Puscas volleyed John Swift's outrageous rabona cross just past the far post.
The visitors began to dominate possession and pin the hosts back, but had failed to seriously trouble the Royals goal until Cahill was left unmarked to tee up Solanke's fifth goal in as many games.
However, there was controversy in the build-up to the goal as Reading midfielder Danny Drinkwater thought he had prevented the ball from going for the corner which led to it.
The hosts went close to an equaliser soon after the break, Puscas poking over the bar on the stretch from four yards under pressure from Bournemouth captain Lloyd Kelly.
But Bournemouth showed the clinical edge which has earned them nine wins from their last 10 matches, Philip Billing pouncing when Reading lost possession in their own half to play in Lowe for the decisive second.
Reading continued to press for a way back, but with forwards Lucas Joao and Yakou Meite among a crippling 10-man injury list, failed to force Travers into a save until Dann's late effort.