Reading recorded only their second Championship home win of the season as a Danny Williams goal inside the opening minute and a late Nick Blackman penalty were enough to give them all three points against high-flying Middlesbrough.
The home side got off to the perfect start when Williams headed home Hal Robson-Kanu's cross within 30 seconds of kick off.
Middlesbrough then enjoyed a good spell of possession, with their best chance falling to Diego Fabbrini who was only denied by Chris Gunter's sliding tackle.
Blackman's cross was then punched straight to Orlando Sa by Dimitrios Konstantopoulos, but the Reading striker saw his goal-bound effort hacked off the line by Daniel Ayala.
Paul McShane thought he had doubled his side's lead but his header from Oliver Norwood's free kick flew inches wide, before Ali Al-Habsi pulled off a diving save to keep out Stewart Downing's strike.
Reading had another golden opportunity within minutes of the restart as Blackman teed up Sa from Jordan Obita's cross, but the striker's effort was acrobatically blocked by a Middlesbrough body.
Robson-Kanu was the next to carve out a chance for Sa as his cross was headed narrowly wide by the Reading striker.
Reading were totally dominant, but the one-goal lead was always a fragile one, so the home side were relieved when Blackman slotted home a late penalty after he had been fouled in the box to wrap up the win in the final minutes.
Joe Sharratt
