Sunderland 2-0 Reading

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Sunderland bounced back from their embarrassing Carling Cup loss at home to Huddersfield in midweek to beat Reading at the Stadium of Light.

Two goals in four minutes from Julio Arca and John Oster - his first league goal for the club - gave the Black Cats their sixth win in seven Division One games and sees them climb to fifth in the table.

For Reading it was a second successive league defeat since caretaker boss Kevin Dillon took over from the departed Alan Pardew.

And the manner of the defeat is unlikely to have improved his chances of getting the job on a permanent basis.

Sunderland survived some early pressure from the visitors before taking the lead through Arca after 28 minutes.

The impressive Thomas Butler surged down the left before laying it off for Arca.

The Argentine defender caught Marcus Hahnemann woefully out of position, with the keeper allowing the ball to pass him at his near post.

Sunderland got a second moments later when Butler found Marcus Stewart on the left and his pinpoint cross was glanced into the bottom corner of the net by Oster.

Reading attempted to claw themselves back into the game before the break, but Adie Williams headed wide from 10 yards.

Nicky Forster tried his luck from 25 yards but could not find a way past Sunderland keeper Mart Poom, whose every touch was welcomed by the home fans following his goal against Derby last week.

Dillon, who supported Sunderland as a child, brought on Shaun Goater at the interval to try and spur his side.

But it was Sunderland who looked the likelier to add to the scoring and Stewart went close with a long-range volley after a Kevin Kyle knock-down.

But the two goals always looked enough against their lack-lustre opponents.

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Sunderland: Poom, Arca, McCartney, Breen, Williams, Butler, Thirlwell, Healy, Oster, Kyle, Stewart. Subs: Tommy Smith, Ingham, Proctor, Thornton, Bjorklund.

Reading: Hahnemann, Shorey, Brown, Williams, Murty, Hughes, Sidwell, Harper, Murray, Forster, Salako. Subs: Mackie, Goater, Ashdown, Newman, Daley.

Referee: H Webb (S Yorkshire).