Reading capitulated on the road again, losing 5-0 at in-form Middlesbrough to add insult to off-field misery.

News had broken in the week that the club were on the verge of being deducted six-points for financial misdemeanours, dragging the Royals dangerously close to the bottom three.

Chuba Akpom and Aaron Ramsey both bagged braces on Teesside while Marcus Forss added a fifth to ensure Paul Ince’s men away-day misery continues- just three wins all season.

It took just 120 seconds for Middlesbrough to have their first dangerous attack, pouncing on a lax Mbengue pass. Deflecting wide off of Andy Yiadom, it was to be a sign of things to come. The hosts, rejuvenated under Michael Carrick and chasing automatic promotion, looked like scoring from every attack. Cameron Archer was the next to fire wide courtesy of a deflection and the crowd were up. After 20 minutes the visitors appeared to have ridden the early storm and started to confidently pass the ball around, but this was short-lived as referee Keith Stroud awarded the Boro a penalty for a handball on captain Yiadom. Top scorer Akpom stepped up and it was never in doubt as the former Arsenal youngster added to his tally.

Both sides had claims for penalties waved away on the half hour mark, Shane Long taken out from behind in the box and another handball shout from the Teessiders, both dubiously waved away. Just a minute later the crowd were up in arms as keeper Dean Bouzanis appeared to hold the ball outside the box, replays showing the officials were correct in deeming it legal. Reading’s best chance of the game came toward the end as Tom Ince whipped in a dangerous cross and Tom McIntyre headed the ball back across the face of goal, screaming for someone to tap home. Unfortunately it was a man in red that the ball fell to as it was cleared. The game somehow stayed 1-0 despite Archer seeing a goal ruled out for offside and Akpom hitting the post with post with a smart header. The Royals were the architects of their downfall again in stoppage time as a poor Ince free-kick was cleared and Mbengue was robbed on the halfway line. Ramsey, on loan from Aston Villa, grabbed his first Middlesbrough goal as he ran the length of the half before slotting past Bouzanis to double their advantage seconds before the break.

Picking up where they left off, Middlesbrough found themselves 4-0 up within six minutes of the restart. Ryan Giles’ cross was tucked home by Akpom just three minutes after the break while Ramsey also doubled his tally five minutes later- caressing a side-footed effort past Bouzanis. Game, set and match. Playing with the game beyond doubt, Andy Carroll, Ince and Yakou Meite foraged into the hosts’ half and tried to make something happen, only to be met with strong resistance from one of the form teams in the division. Long did have the ball in the net, a minute after the referee had blown his whistle for a foul, which was met with ironic jeers from all four sides of the Riverside. As the game dwindled to an embarrassing defeat on the road, McIntyre gave away a penalty on Forss, barging him out of the way in the box, and the former Brentford forward grabbed himself a goal from the spot.

Losing ground with teams below picking up points, and the likelihood of having six points docked in the coming weeks, Ince’s men are very much now in a relegation dogfight. Not getting any easier, second-placed Sheffield United visit Berkshire on Tuesday before play-off chasing Millwall come to town on Saturday.