Reading 1-0 Charlton: Nick Blackman scores Royals winner

Reading made it six wins out of their past seven Championship games with a hard-earned 1-0 victory over a stubborn Charlton Athletic side.

Charlton battled hard but were reduced to 10 men midway through the second half when centre-back Patrick Bauer was dismissed after picking up two yellow cards.

Reading make their numerical advantage pay, eventually striking in the 76th minute, when top scorer Nick Blackman nodded in his 10th goal of the season.

Reading had been in good form prior to the international break, which included successive victories over title rivals Burnley and Middlesbrough.

After a bright start to the campaign, Charlton had not won in six league games and in seven in all competitions.

Their last Championship win came back in late August, when a 2-1 home win over Hull took them into third place in the table.

Reading made a sluggish start, creating few clear-cut chances in the drab opening exchanges.

Lucas Piazon sprinted on to a clever Orlando Sa backheel but, with the angle tight, his shot carried little venom and Charlton goalkeeper Nick Pope was able to make a comfortable save.

Ola John blazed a 20-yard effort over as Reading continued to press, and Blackman tried a speculative free-kick attempt from 10 yards further out which also failed to trouble Pope.

Charlton were happy to sit back and defend and, apart from the probing of Johann Berg Gudmundsson on the right flank, they showed little going forward.

It took them until the 41st minute to fashion their first shot, on or off target, when Berg Gudmundsson forced home keeper Ali Al Habsi into a sprawling save.

At the other end, Sa tested Pope with a firmly struck drive but Oliver Norwood's effort, after an intricate Reading move, sailed over.

Charlton continued to lie deep in the early stages of the second half and Reading were restricted to mostly long-range attempts.

Centre-back Michael Hector tried his luck from 20 yards but the attempt was deflected wide. Blackman chanced his arm from similar distance but the ball flew too high.

Charlton occasionally broke forward, with Bauer volleying over from a Zakarya Bergdich corner.

But Bauer did not last much longer as he was sent off in the 68th minute for his second bookable offence.

Blackman drove through to the heart of the Charlton defence and Bauer brought him crashing to the ground to earn an obvious yellow card and then red.

Piazon wasted the subsequent free-kick, on the edge of the area, but was instrumental in Reading breaking the deadlock.

After clever work on the left flank, Piazon crossed to the far post for Blackman to nod home firmly past Pope.

It was Blackman's ninth goal in as many games in all competitions and ended Charlton's dour challenge.

Reading manager Steve Clarke:

"He can't stop scoring. I told him after the game, 'it's a terrible habit but keep it up'. It was a great header from Nick. I thought his performance from the first minute today was probably one of his best."

Charlton head coach Guy Luzon: 

"We had a game plan and prepared well. We knew before that Reading had a lot of quality. When we played with 11 players, we really gave everything. We were well organised."