A ridiculous saying in football is that it is sometimes harder to play against ten men than 11. Reading made a good case for it at the Madejski Stadium last night by labouring to a slender victory over a stubborn Blackpool side who had been reduced in numbers by the 33rd-minute dismissal of Lee Hendrie.

Hendrie, the former Aston Villa midfield player and one-cap England wonder, was sent off for a robust challenge on Marek Matejovsky that Jarnail Singh, the referee, deemed worthy of a red card. Simon Grayson, the Blackpool manager, later joined him, sent to the stands for talking out of turn to Singh and his assistants.

Reading, already ahead through Ivar Ingimarsson, even squandered a stoppage-time penalty, when Keith Southern brought down Chris Armstrong. Shane Long argued with Stephen Hunt over who should take the spot-kick, Hunt won and then saw his kick saved by Paul Rachubka. It was one of those frustrating nights for Reading when most of what they attempted failed miserably.

Still, with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City also winning, there was no change at the top of the Coca-Cola Championship. Reading secured a third successive win and retained third place, just about maintaining their momentum as they chase a quick return to the top flight after their relegation last season.

“I thought we played some terrific stuff before the sending-off,” Steve Coppell, the Reading manager, said. “But the mentality seems to change when you play against ten. If we’d got a second goal quickly, we could have relaxed and it probably would have been comfortable. But we got a little bit agitated.”

It is not often that Coppell reshuffles his pack but, after the 1-0 victory away to Barnsley on Saturday, he made three changes. In Coppell terms, it was a bloodbath, with Kalifa Cissé and James Harper dropped and Matejovsky and Brynjar Gunnarsson — the scorer at Oakwell — brought in.

Coppell also gave James Henry, 19, his league debut on the right side of midfield as replacement for Jimmy Kébé, who was starting a three-match suspension after his sending-off for violent conduct against Barnsley. Reading had lodged an appeal but it was rejected by the FA yesterday.

Blackpool opened brightly but it was not long, though, before Reading’s superior technique began to tell, with Noel Hunt and Kevin Doyle, the Ireland strikers, combining fluidly up front. Hunt outmuscled Rob Edwards but his angled shot was well saved by Rachubka. Doyle was then denied by a ferocious tackle from Shaun Barker as he drove towards the byline, but, in the 27th minute, Reading went in front.

Matejovksy instigated the move, freeing Henry inside the Blackpool area, and the subsequent chipped cross was nudged on by Doyle. It fell perfectly for Ingimarsson, whose finish was straight true and powerful — bulleting past Rachubka.

If Blackpool were rocking, they almost capsized six minutes later when Hendrie, the midfield player who is on loan from Sheffield United, was sent off. “Lee thought that he was just going for the ball,” Grayson said. “He’s not got a malicious streak in him.” Hendrie may now return to Bramall Lane. “With his suspension, at least he’ll probably have a decent Christmas,” Grayson said.

That Reading are more used to playing with ten men — they had had a player sent off in two of their previous three matches — rather than against ten may have something to do with their inability to break down Blackpool. Whatever it was, it still afflicted them in the second half, although Rachubka did have to produce a flying save to keep out a fierce drive from Gunnarsson.

Blackpool could even have snatched a late equaliser, when Southern’s thunderous, goalbound effort slammed into Stephen Hunt. Grayson claimed a handball — “I didn’t swear, I didn’t get in anyone’s face,” Grayson said — but Singh disagreed and sent him to the stands.

Reading (4-4-2): M Hahnemann (sub: A Federici, 69min) — L Rosenior, M Duberry, I Ingimarsson, C Armstrong — J Henry (sub: R Convey, 82), B Gunnarsson, M Matejovsky, S Hunt — N Hunt (sub: S Long, 80), K Doyle. Substitutes not used: J Harper, J Karacan. Booked: Gunnarsson.

Blackpool (4-4-2): P Rachubka — S Barker, R Edwards, I Evatt, J Martin — K Reid, K Southern, L Hendrie, A Hammill (sub: D Fox, 35) — B Burgess (sub: L Dickinson, 69), S Kabba (sub: G Taylor-Fletcher, 69). Substitutes not used: D Coid, A Gow. Booked: Edwards, Taylor-Fletcher. Sent off: Hendrie.

Referee: J Singh.