Reading's three match winning run was emphatically ended at Bramall Lane as Sheffield United hit the top of the Championship with a 4-0 win.

Oli McBurnie, Iliman Ndiaye and an Anel Ahmedhodzic brace bought the Royals back down to Earth with a bangf after wins over Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough and Millwall had lifted them to the summit.

Paul Ince made one change from the team that won at the Den, Tyrese Fornah rested and Junior Hoilett returning to the starting side.

Just as you think Reading shake the habit of conceding early, they fell back into old routines as it took just 11 minutes for the deadlock to be broken. After dominating early proceedings, which included an Ollie Norwood free kick narrowly missing the goal and Tommy Doyle finding himself in a shooting position in the box, McBurnie headed home a powerful effort at the near post to leave the visitors with an uphill climb. Despite seeing the vast majority of the ball, the Royals remained resolute and carved out the occasional half chance of their own.

Mamadou Loum tried his luck from distance, seeing his strike skew well wide and Lucas Joao should have done better after Jeff Hendrick intercepted a loose pass on the halfway line and Loum drove into the hosts’ half. A ball threaded through to Lucas Joao creates an opening, but it is crowded out before a shot can hit the target. In similar fashion, a poor clearance from Wes Foderingham in goal hit Tom McIntyre and dropped nicely for him to play Tom Ince in on goal, only for him to lash a shot wide across goal.

Tricky midfielder Iliman Ndiaye finds himself one-on-one with Joe Lumley, but he curls his shot wide of the Middlesbrough loanee’s upright to keep Reading in the game. Sander Berge, Norwood, and Doyle continue to run the game for the Yorkshiremen, rotating and keeping possession at ease, however when they lose it on the edge of their box Ince’s men break and almost carve out a chance before the break.

Unhappy with the effectiveness of the first half, the manager made a tactical sub and move McIntyre back into his more natural defensive position instead of midfield, bringing on Tyrese Fornah. Before it had a chance to take effect the hill they were facing turned into a mountain as Anel Ahmedhodzic turned in Doyle’s corner within two minutes of the restart.

 Seeing much more of the ball in the second period, Tom Holmes nearly halves the deficit after sneaking in at the back post from a Junior Hoilett cross. The game was killed off with little over half hour remaining as a Loum was robbed and the Blades sprung into attack. Swift passing between Doyle, Berge and Ndiaye on the edge of the box lead to Ndiaye cutting in and curling an effort past Lumley into the back of the net.

Three ahead and having to deal with little in defence, the hosts continued to push for more and could have had it when Berge drove from midfield to the deep inside the box. Looking like a certain goal, captain Andy Yiadom came steaming in to make a last-ditch tackle and keep the score line respectable. They didn’t have to wait long to make it four, with centre back Ahmedhodzic grabbing himself a brace, nodding home a Chris Basham cross.

Still threatening to add to their lead, the referee blew the whistle and made it two 4-0 losses in South Yorkshire, after going down by the same score to Rotherham United earlier in the month.

Playing live on Sky Sports next against Stoke City, who have recently appointed former Sunderland boss Alex Neil as their manager, they will be hoping to bounce back and keep up their 100 per cent home record.