Two goals from Nicky Forster and a first of the season from skipper Adie Williams enabled Reading to leaprog Sheffield United into third place in the Division One table.

It was a thoroughly deserved fourth successive victory and leaves the Royals 10 points behind Leicester, who currently occupy the second automatic promotion spot.

United have now lost their last three league games but it all slooked rosy when they went ahead after just three minutes through Michael Brown's 12th goal of the campaign.

The 26-year-old midfielder curled home a brilliant free-kick into the top right-hand corner of the Reading goal after Dean Windass had been hauled down 25 yards out by Williams.

Reading's equaliser arrived after 34 minutes.

Andy Hughes fired in a shot that was only half blocked by Robert Page which allowed Forster to nip in and slot the ball home from six yards.

The Blades were then forced into a change when Windass hobbled off to be replaced by 34-year-old striker Wayne Allison seven minutes before the break.

After the restart Alan Pardew's men continued to look the better side and Forster turned Wales international Page smartly before testing Kenny with a low drive just before the hour.

Hughes was again denied by the outstanding Paddy Kenny after 73 minutes but, from the resulting corner, Reading took the lead they deserved.

Former Notts County player Hughes had a piledriver from 20 yards superbly parried by Kenny but Williams was on hand to lift the rebound into the roof of the net from an acute angle.

The game was made safe with 10 minutes left when the speedy Nathan Tyson went clear down the left and his low cross was expertly turned in by Forster for his 10th goal of the season.

He almost completed a hat-trick in the closing stages but headed Luke Chadwick's cross narrowly wide.

Sheff Utd: Kenny, Jagielka, Murphy, Page, Quinn, Javary, Brown, McCall, Tonge, Windass, Kabba. Subs: Yates, Peschisolido, Allison, Mooney, Cas.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Williams, Brown, Shorey, Chadwick, Hughes, Harper, Sidwell, Salako, Forster. Subs: Watson, Mackie, Tyson, Henderson, Ashdown.

Referee: G Cain (Merseyside).