Doyle on target as Reading march on

Reading 2 Leicester 0

The runaway leaders had found themselves being frustrated by lowly Leicester in a dismal first half.

But Doyle broke the deadlock on the hour, and the three points were secured three minutes from full-time with a Gunnarsson header.

The Royals had gone into the match with a 20-point gap over third-placed Watford in the race to reach the Premiership, but struggled to produce the kind of form which has put them in such a commanding position.

Strikers Dave Kitson and Doyle have both shown their scoring prowess so far this season but were largely very well marshalled by a determined defensive unit led by Rob Douglas.

At the other end Royals goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann had to act smartly to come to claim an inswinging corner from Joe Hamill which threatened danger.

Very little followed in the next half an hour and it took until seven minutes before the break for Hamill to have the first shot of the game, although he drilled wide.

Hamill was then on hand to clear another dangerous Oster free-kick as the home side pushed forward in pursuit of the opener.

Douglas made the first save of the game in first-half injury time, after Nicky Shorey tried his luck from just outside the penalty area to no avail.

And, seconds later at the other end, Mark de Vries fired in a shot from slightly further out only for Hahnemann to make a routine save.

Within seconds of the restart Shorey fired in a shot that was well-saved by Douglas, before De Vries forced a similar stop from Hahnemann moments later.

On the hour mark, the home side took the lead when Doyle drilled home from 12 yards out.

And, nine minutes later, the Irish striker had a decent chance to make it 2-0, only to push his shot wide from close range.

Then, with 86 minutes on the clock, Gunnarsson scored the clincher as he headed home Shorey’s left-wing cross.

Doyle had a chance to add a third, which would have completely flattered Reading, but he headed wide from Stephen Hunt’s right-wing corner.

READING: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Sidwell, Sonko, Oster (Gunnarsson 83), Kitson (Long 80), Harper, Ingimarsson, Convey (Hunt 71), Doyle.

LEICESTER: Douglas, Maybury, Kisnorbo, Hughes (Hammond 73), McCarthy, Williams, Sylla, de Vries, Gudjonsson, Hamill (Smith 73), Gerrbrand (Stearman 73).

Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire).