This was an enormously important and deserved victory for Reading against a Manchester City team that lost Richard Dunne to injury early and so expensively. Without the heroics of Joe Hart in goal, it could well have been worse for the visitors.

These have been desperate days for Reading, dog days for Manchester City. Reading are notable sufferers from what might be called second-season syndrome. City are becalmed in mid-table after a splendid start, and are waiting anxiously to hear whether their controversial patron, Thaksin Shinawatra, now back in his native Thailand, can lay his hands on the £800m that lies embargoed in a bank there. If he can, City could presumably repeat their heavy spending of the summer.

Reading, a week earlier, won a dour but vital game at Middlesbrough, before which things had been going badly, as reflected in the fact that manager Steve Coppell dropped out-of-form David Kitson, who was not only their principal hope of goals but was even canvassed by some as a potential England player. Yesterday, the strikers were Shane Long and Kevin Doyle, an all-Irish attack, with another lively Irishman, the ever-active and speedy winger, Stephen Hunt, out on the left, but always ready to cut inside.

After 13 minutes, Benjani Mwaruwari, recently bought by City from Portsmouth, glided round Nicky Shorey on the left with embarrassing ease, only to be thwarted at the last stride as he cut in when Marcus Hahnemann, Reading’s American goalkeeper, dived briskly and bravely at his feet.

Mwaruwari had another opportunity after 28 minutes but wasted it. Darius Vassell, who was being used quite effectively not as a striker but as a deep left-winger, was given too much space to put in his cross. The same might be said about the Reading central defence as Mwaruwari was presented with a chance of a free header but all he could do was nod the ball tamely straight at Hahnemann.

On the half-hour, there was a disastrous development for City. Richard Dunne, their captain and the bulwark of their defence, collided with Hunt, went down heavily and painfully, and, after treatment, had to be removed on a stretcher and replaced by Sun Jihai.

Reading, perhaps predictably, began to have more of the play. And when Nicky Shorey took a free kick from the left, which he always does expertly well, Long got his head to it, only for the ball to fly not far wide of the right hand post.

Reading were more threatening a couple of minutes later when a left-wing corner was only half cleared to be met with a drive by Marek Matejovsky. Hart, who has kept more experienced and more expensive players out of the team, and has even been suggested as an England player, showed why by hurling himself to his left and saving the shot at full stretch.

It transpired at half-time that nine stitches had been inserted in the unfortunate Dunne’s leg wounds. There can be no doubt that City’s defence missed him. Reading took control and on 62 minutes they went ahead. The goal was a tribute to the pace and stamina of Long. A long clearance by Hahnemann was nodded on by Long to his strike partner, Doyle. He crossed from the left, and Long, who had made up ground, was there to shoot inside the left-hand post.

That was just one minute after Hart, powerless to save such a goal, had made an excellent stop at his left-hand post from Andre Bikey. Four minutes later Hart was in action again. Pushing out an insidious ball, he then had to deal with an immediate shot by Hunt, and this he capably did.

Finally, Reading brought on Kitson, and against a seemingly demoralised City defence, he scored. Moving in from the right, mysteriously unopposed, he eventually shot past a goalkeeper in Hart who surely deserved better support. You couldn’t imagine City giving away such a soft goal had Dunne still been on the pitch.

Reading: Hahnemann 7, Rosenior 6, Bikey 6, Ingimarsson 6, Shorey 6, Oster 5, Harper 6, Matejovsky 6 (Cisse 79min), Hunt 7, Doyle 7, Long 7 (Kitson 82min)

Manchester City: Hart 8, Garrido 6, Corluka 6, Dunne 6 (Jihai 29min, 6), Ball 6, Gelson 6, Johnson 6, Hamann 6 (Castillo 67min), Elano 6, Vassell 7 (Caicedo 59min, 6), Benjani 6

Yellow cards: Hamann, Johnson
Star man: Joe Hart (Manchester City)
Referee: U Rennie
Attendance: 24,062