Preston North End 2-3 Reading: Lucas Joao's early double eases Royals' relegation fears
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Lucas Joao's double against Preston made it four goals in six games for the Reading forward
Lucas Joao's early double helped ease Reading's relegation fears - but a first win in 13 games was not enough to keep Royals boss Veljko Paunovic in his job.
Victory at Preston moved the Royals five points clear of the bottom three in 21st place but Reading announced the departure of their Serbian manager soon after the final whistle.
Portuguese striker Joao stunned Preston by putting the visitors 2-0 up inside the opening 20 minutes.
John Swift extended the Royals' advantage early in the second half, only for Daniel Johnson to cut the deficit immediately.
Cameron Archer made it 3-2 with his third goal in four games but Reading clung on to secure the points.
Preston went into the game with four consecutive clean sheets, but any hopes of extending that record were extinguished inside two minutes as they failed to clear Swift's free-kick and Joao stabbed home at the second attempt.
Swift was the architect again for the Royals' second, feeding Joao who turned and weaved his way into the penalty area before unleashing a right-foot strike that flew beyond Daniel Iversen.
The goalkeeper's smart reaction save denied Joao a first-half hat-trick but Preston rarely threatened to respond, although Emil Riis fired over from distance just before the interval.
Iversen denied Swift with a flying save after the break but he was beaten again on 55 minutes as the playmaker exchanged passes with Joao and burst through to curl home his 10th goal of the season.
However, North End responded quickly, with Johnson running on to Ched Evans' knockdown and firing a shot that deflected into the bottom corner.
Archer further raised the home side's hopes of a comeback 15 minutes from time, the on-loan Aston Villa striker scrambling in after Reading had failed to clear a corner.
But, although Scott Sinclair fired over late on, the Royals saw out the game to end Preston's six-match unbeaten run.
Preston manager Ryan Lowe told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"To be 2-0 down after 19 minutes was tough. The game plan goes out of the window, doesn't it?
"We've fought back from that before but, as I've said to the group in there, I don't want to keep doing that.
"We did get another reaction and we possibly could have scored late on to make it 3-3 but that would have been harsh on them, possibly.
"I think the performance in the first half was nowhere near the levels."
Departing Reading manager Veljko Paunovic told BBC Radio Berkshire:
"I think the team is now much better prepared, this win helps the confidence. It's a big statement from the team.
"Today was another day where we gave our best and fortunately the best was enough to get the three points.
"We knew that this result [his dismissal] may happen, coming into the game. I don't know how much this win would have changed the negativity that surrounded me."