Reading 2-1 Birmingham City: Paul Ince oversees Royals win on return to management
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John Swift's second-half penalty took his goal tally for the season to 11
Interim boss Paul Ince capped his return to management with victory as Reading saw off Birmingham City in the Championship with two second-half goals.
Lucas Joao followed his brace against Preston by putting the Royals ahead midway through the second half with a neat sidefoot finish after combining with John Swift.
Moments later Swift made it 2-0 from the penalty spot after Onel Hernandez hauled down Andy Yiadom.
Blues had enjoyed the best of the opening hour, and went on to halve the deficit through Tom McIntyre's own goal, but Reading held on to give Ince a winning start.
More importantly it gave Reading back-to-back wins and took them eight points clear of the bottom three, while Blues remain 18th and without a league win on the road since 30 October.
The build-up to the match was understandably all about former England captain Ince's return to the dugout for the first time since his last management job at Blackpool ended in 2014.
Yet it was Blues who gradually asserted themselves as Taylor's curling strike brought a decent stop from Karl Hein down to his left, while Jeremie Bela's 20-yard effort just cleared the bar.
Ince's son Tom went closest for the hosts before the break, racing on to Junior Hoilett's diagonal ball, but turning a difficult chance just over.
Blues went agonizingly close to the breakthrough twice in a minute as 17-year-old Jordan James' powerful low shot forced a smart stop from Royals goalkeeper Karl Hein and Lyle Taylor sent an angled drive inches wide.
They were soon stung by Joao and Swift who secured a first win on home soil for Reading in 11 matches, although the hosts were made to sweat as Hernandez drove a shot narrowly wide after McIntyre's unfortunate own goal.
Reading interim manager Paul Ince told BBC Radio Berkshire:
"We haven't had time on the training ground with them because we're down to the bare bones. We've got kids on the bench - it's a tough challenge here, but the lads gave me everything.
"First time back for a long time, you get nervous and the heart is pumping. I don't get nervous for myself, I get nervous for the fans and for the players because I want them to stay in this league. They are too good not to be in this league.
"As a manager you just want to get the first win and to get it straight away in front of your fans is great.
"On Friday night I was cleaning my sand wedges. I got a phone call saying the manager might be stepping down, would you like to come in and help us?
"I said 'I'll come down and help you out, as long as you want me. I'll be here. When you don't need me I'll go back to hitting my driver down the right-hand side'."
Birmingham City manager Lee Bowyer told BBC WM 95.6:
"It's so frustrating - how we've not won the game comfortably. We're just not ruthless enough in the final third. In the final third today we were poor and then we just gift them two goals.
"There's no excuse. It doesn't matter what the back four is. We've got two wingers playing at full-back, we've got two full-backs playing at centre-half, but the goals we're gifting them - it's not like they're opening us up.
"Two players got caught taking too many touches in the middle of the park - the basics of the game.
"It's disappointing to come away with nothing because there's no way we should be leaving here with nothing."