GEORGE Evans fired Reading FC to their first ever victory at Ewood Park with a late winner against Blackburn Rovers.

Royals had never won at Blackburn in eight previous attempts and that run looked like continuing with the game tied 2-2 going into stoppage time.

But Evans gave boss Jaap Stam an early Christmas present by sliding the ball past Jason Steele to secure all three points which leaves Reading third in the Championship table.

It was in many ways no more that Royals deserved after Owen Coyle's Rovers had made it 2-2 in controversial style after referee Jeremy Simpson awarded a corner instead of a goal kick from which Wes Brown scored.

Reading had led twice during a thrilling game, with Dominic Samuel giving them a 32nd minute lead only for Danny Graham to level eight minutes later.

Liam Moore put the visitors back in front on the hour but Brown's contentious equaliser looked to have earned Rovers a point until Evans showed nerves of steel to crash home the winner at the death.

The victory ended back-to-back away defeats for the Royals and was their second win in three matches.


Stam resisted the temptation to recall fit-again Yann Kermorgant and named an unchanged side, having described Tuesday night's 2-0 defeat at Leeds United as one of their best displays under his management.

Rovers, meanwhile, were missing four central defenders, though Owen Coyle did hand a league debut to Brown, a former team-mate of Stam's at Manchester United.

They were fortunate to remain level in the fifth minute when Paul McShane let Garath McCleary's corner run to Samuel, but he missed his kick when he should have it the target.

Coyle's men hit back two minutes later when a swerving Jason Lowe piledriver brought the best out of Ali Al-Habsi.

Then Liam Kelly saw a stinging volley fly narrowly wide for the visitors after a neat link-up with Roy Beerens.

Chances continued to come at both ends, former Royal Hope Akpan nodding wide for Rovers from a Craig Conway cross, then Reading skipper McShane blazing over from McCleary's flag-kick.


Royals, though, were gradually getting on top and they carved out another opening with 23 minutes gone, Kelly's sharp pass sending McCleary clear only for Jason Steele to come to Rovers' rescue.

The visitors brought danger on themselves three minutes later when Liam Moore was caught in possession, leaving Graham with only Al-Habsi to beat.

The Omani stopper dug his side out again with an excellent stop to keep the scores level.

Games turn on such moments, and so it proved as Reading boke the deadlock in the 32nd minute.

McCleary was involved again is his clever, reverse pass gave Samuel a sight at goal and the ex-Academy striker bent the ball between Steele and his inside post for his second of the season.

So tight was the angle that many Royals fans at the far end of Ewood Park didn't realise it had gone in until a few seconds later.

Their celebrations were short lived as Rovers stormed back and had the visitors on the ropes.

In a manic 90-second spell, Graham headed straight at Al-Habsi then Marvin Emnes smacked a volley against the crossbar from 10 yards out with Reading hanging on.

The pressure kept coming with Al-Habsi denying Sam Gallagher with a crucial stop before Moore somehow headed Emnes' goal-bound follow-up off the line.

But Reading's resistance finally broke a minute before the interval when Graham nodded in unopposed at the back post after Al-Habsi had scooped Gallagher's initial header to him.

The visitors continued to look shaky after the restart and where relieved when Graham directed a close-range header straight into Al-Habsi's arms when anywhere else would have done.

Emnes also threatened in the 52nd minute, but again Al-Habsi comfortably held his header, this one from Ben Marshall's delivery.

Reading were not so wasteful when they seized the chance to get their noses back in front on the hour mark.

McCleary counter-attacked and won a corner before a Beerens cross ran to Kelly just outside the area.

The midfield schemer took a touch then hammered a shot off the underside of the bar, the ball bouncing on the line and spinning out to Moore, who bundled it into the net.

Four minutes later Rovers almost equalised, but Al-Habsi dived full-stretch to pluck a Gallagher header out of thin air.

However, when they did make it 2-2 in the 73rd minute it came in controversial style.

Graham appeared to nod Marshall's cross against the outside of Al-Habsi's post, only for Simpson to award corner.

And when Conway's flag-kick arrived at the back stick, the unmarked Brown arrived in perfect time to head past Al-Habsi.

Stam's men dusted themselves down and stepped it up again.

Steele needed to touch a Beerens effort into the side netting after a lovely switch by McCleary.

Kelly also tested Steele from distance after a mazy run past two Rovers players.

Reading's refusal to accept the draw eventually paid dividends two minutes into time added on.

Once again, McCleary was the catalyst, gliding past Brown and speeding away before slipping in Evans who coolly stroked the ball into the corner to secure a historic victory for the Royals.

Reading return to Championship action on Boxing Day when they host Norwich City (3pm).

Blackburn: Steele, Marshall, Brown, Lenihan, Williams, Conway, Lowe, Akpan (Nyambe 86), Emnes, Gallagher, Graham. Subs not used: Feeney, Byrne, Stokes, Bennett, Raya. Wharton. Booked: Lowe 66.

Reading: Al-Habsi, Gunter, Blackett, L.Moore, McShane (c), Van den Berg, Kelly (Cooper 90), Evans, Beerens, McCleary, Samuel (Kermorgant 60) . Subs not used: S.Moore, Harriott, Wieser, Meite, Watson. Booked: McCleary 36.

Referee: Jeremy Simpson.

Attendance: 10,982 (Reading 370).