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Scott Sinclair fired in his ninth goal in 10 games to give Brendan Rodgers revenge at old club Reading as Swansea City moved fourth in the Championship.
The former Chelsea winger struck 10 minutes before the break rounding Reading keeper Adam Federici.
Nathan Dyer hit the bar for the Swans while striker Stephen Dobbie was also twice denied by Federici.
Jobi McAnuff had Reading’s best chance with a 25-yard free kick which was turned over the bar by Dorus de Vries.
It was Swansea’s second away win in the league this season – and their first at Reading for 25 years.
It was also the second for Rodgers against former clubs after seeing off Watford last month.
Reading, who sacked Rodgers after only six months last season, had not lost at home since the opening day of the current campaign.
The hosts enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges with Jimmy Kebe delivering dangerous balls into the box from the right.
Shane Long came closest to converting one of them, but sent his header over the bar.
The Swans were struggling to get into the game and were forced into a substitution after 20 minutes when David Cotterill replaced the injured Mark Gower.
It seemed to help the Welsh side though and Nathan Dyer saw a penalty appeal turned down soon after when he appeared to have been pushed over by Royals defender Zurab Khizanishvili.
But it was the home side who were posing more of a threat with Kebe and McAnuff both causing problems, while Jem Karacan and Chris Armstrong saw half-chances go begging.
McAnuff could have had the Royals in front on 33 minutes from a free kick after Angel Rangel had taken out Long.
Ex-Cardiff midfielder McAnuff drilled a fierce 25-yard effort but keeper de Vries tipped it over.
For all their effort, Reading were stung 10 minutes before the break when Swansea took the lead with their first real chance.
Superb vision by Cotterill allowed him to feed the onrushing Sinclair at the edge of the box and the former Chelsea winger rounded Federici and slotted home.
Swansea then controlled affairs up until the break but Reading came out attacking after the re-start with Wales striker Hal Robson-Kanu crossing from the left, but Long could not reach Kebe’s knock-down.
Sinclair was a threat at the other end and won a free-kick from Chris Armstrong which Cotterill sent into the wall.
But Brian McDermott’s side wasted no time testing the Swansea defence again which in turn allowed the visitors to counter attack.
A superb through ball by Dobbie found Dyer and with no-one else in the box, the ex-Southampton winger rattled the crossbar.
Moments later, Dobbie was set free to charge into the box and Federici had to save with his legs.
Dobbie was denied again on the line by a sprawling Federici as he tried to turn in Cotterill’s header from a corner.
Swansea needed a goal as Reading pressed and they felt they should have had a penalty on the hour when Alan Tate appeared to handle Long’s header.
Noel Hunt and Simon Church were brought on for the home side as they pushed for an equaliser, and the Swans had to deal late pressure through Hunt, Church and Kebe.
But they held on to take all three points and climb above Reading in the table.
