Reading boss Paul Ince has taken responsibility for the 3-0 defeat to Sunderland in September.

A first home defeat of the campaign, the Royals could have gone top of the Championship with a win, but two quickfire goals in the first half was supplemented with a back-to-front move in the closing stages.

Looking back on the first meeting as the teams prepare to meet again tomorrow, the former England captain held his hands up.

"There were two elements why we lost it. One was me," he admitted. "Solely my fault. The game wasn’t going anywhere and I decided to go for a four, and that’s when we conceded our goals. I take responsibility for that, it’s my cock-up. Secondly, I think it was a game where if we won, we would have gone top of the table, and I sensed the nervousness of the players. We didn’t perform. A lot has gone on since then. It will be a tough game, 40 odd thousand fans there. It’s a challenge. Revenge is never in my mind, but I want us to perform a lot better than we will at home."

Challenging for the play-offs, Tony Mowbray's Black Cats will provide a stern test for the Royals.

But Ince believes their lack of height could be an area to exploit.

"I watched the game last night against Fulham and you could see that they’re a very good side. They haven’t got a lot of height, but they have very good players. We’ve been working this week on staying with runners and not getting caught watching the ball.

"With the crowd behind them it will be a tough game. It’s great that they played a Premier League side and performed well, but I’m sure Tony Mowbray will say his bread and butter is the Championship, so it’s going to be tough. If we stay in the game, will they tire? That’s what we’re hoping for. We will see when we get there."