Reading 3-1 Huddersfield: Royals record comfortable win over Terriers
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Tom McIntyre celebrates giving Reading the lead against Huddersfield
Reading cruised to a comfortable victory over Huddersfield to remain third in the Championship, and condemn new Terriers boss Mark Fotheringham to a losing start.
The Royals were 2-0 in front at half-time in the Berkshire sunshine thanks to a Tom McIntyre header and an own goal from Huddersfield keeper Lee Nicholls.
Substitute Yakou Meite added a third for the Royals shortly after coming on, with Tom Lees scoring a late consolation for the Terriers in added time.
It was the first game in charge for new Huddersfield boss Fotheringham following his appointment on Wednesday, and he will be under no illusions as to how tough a job he has taken on after replacing Danny Schofield.
After Coventry won for the first time this season by beating Middlesbrough, the Terriers are now only one point off the bottom of the table and are three points from safety.
Reading took the lead just before the half-hour mark as centre-back McIntyre connected with Tom Ince's corner and headed the ball back across goal into the corner of the net.
The lead was doubled 10 minutes before half-time as Nicholls was only able to divert Jeff Hendrick's cross into his own net.
The second half continued in the same vein, with Meite scoring 10 minutes after coming on, converting from close range after Nicholls had spilled the ball.
Lees headed home from a Sorba Thomas corner in the last minute of stoppage time to give the suffering Huddersfield fans something to cheer.
Reading manger Paul Ince told BBC Radio Berkshire:
"Overall I'm very, very pleased. I thought the first half we were very good and when you haven't played for a couple of weeks it's hard to get back into that groove.
"This game is one that you look at and think that we've got to win this game and I said we need a fast start against a team that's probably lacking a bit of confidence at the moment.
"It's not nice to concede a goal in the last minute, that's for sure.
"People will say he's being a bit finickity but I'm not because as well as we played well in the first half, we didn't play well in the second half."
Huddersfield head coach Mark Fotheringham told BBC Radio Leeds:
"I just thought it was typical Championship football, but it was mostly individual mistakes that cost us.
"I wasn't very satisfied with the first-half performance and the ball possession, but I thought our shape was really good out of possession.
"The second half was great for us to be so flexible to change our system and really get some momentum and get on top in the game.
"The pleasing thing for me is I had a lot of offensive-minded players on the pitch in the second half and we really went at it and tried to go for it."