Wait is over as Reading punish sloppy City

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

The competition is red hot for a place alongside fellow Irishman Kevin Doyle and Long did his chances of a regular starting berth no harm with his first goal since October 27. It paved the way for a second successive win, lifting Reading out of the drop zone.

Scroll down for more

Kit of all right: Dave Kitson celebrates his decisive second goal

Long is such an optimistic character that he even predicted a shock, top-half finish for Reading. "The confidence is back. I think we can finish in the top 10," he said.

Long started the move that led to his 62nd-minute opener as he flicked on Marcus Hahnemann's long goal kick which Doyle collected before crossing for Long, who finished neatly in front of new Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni's assistants, Liam Brady and Marco Tardelli.

Doyle added: "We have had back-to-back wins now but we had been written off before the Middlesbrough game. When we were on our eight-match losing run, maybe some of the teams were half-relaxing, thinking we would go down."

Long and substitute Dave Kitson, who sealed the points two minutes from time, needed to show their incisiveness because Reading were unconvincing. Manchester City dominated possession in the first half and a better side would have converted that pressure into a healthy lead.

Instead, Long rattled City with the opener. The game was up when Kitson embarked on a mazy run and slotted past the impressive Joe Hart.

Things could have been so different if Michael Johnson had been awarded a penalty when Ivar Ingimarsson brought him down in the first half. Ingimarsson admitted: "I thought the referee was going to give a penalty. There was contact."

City manager Sven Goran Eriksson was an unhappy man. He said: "We don't create a lot of chances. The chances we create, we don't take and we concede goals too easy.'