Black Cats suffer more bad luck

Seven days ago Roy Keane's side, who are now back in the bottom three, had thought they had beaten Aston Villa only for a 90th-minute strike to be ruled out.

This time referee Steve Tanner, having consulted with a linesman, ruled Black Cats goalkeeper Craig Gordon had been unable to prevent Hunt's shot crossing the line. That made Michael Chopra's penalty equaliser redundant, with a rare goal from Ivar Ingimarsson having given Reading what was then a deserved lead.

Gordon prevented Hunt from putting Reading ahead just before the half-hour mark following a moment of magic from the in-form Dave Kitson on the left of the box. The striker managed to get in a cross to the back post despite the presence of three defenders and when Hunt outjumped Danny Collins, Gordon had to make an instinctive block with an arm.

Andy Cole hit the side-netting early on after the break and Chopra, back in the side as a right winger, came close with a 25-yard drive. Keane made a double change with Daryl Murphy and Cole replaced by Ross Wallace and Dickson Etuhu in a switch to a 4-5-1 formation but Reading eventually broke the deadlock with 20 minutes remaining.

The irrepressible Hunt was fouled by Danny Collins near the right touchline and Ibrahima Sonko met James Harper's free-kick with a header that Gordon could only parry straight to Ingimarsson, who made no mistake from all of two yards out.

Jones then won a penlaty after Sonko came steaming in and while he certainly did not make contact with the ball, contact with the player was minimal if non-existent and Jones appeared to jump over his man before tumbling over. Chopra made no mistake from the spot to record his first goal since the second game of the season.

Jones almost snatched victory when he eluded the Reading back-line but Hahnemann was able to block his attempt to squeeze the ball through his legs.

But Reading would grab a winner when substitute Shane Long crossed to the unmarked Hunt beyond the back post. In came the shot and this time Gordon could not prevent it from crossing the white paint.

Sunderland were bitterly aggrieved and a number of players complained the officials after the final whistle - but their search for that elusive away win must now be carried over into 2008.