Reading have moved out of the relegation zone after securing a 3-1 success over Crystal Palace.
Church brace sinks Eagles at Selhurst Park
Reading have moved out of the relegation zone after securing a 3-1 success over Crystal Palace.
The Royals were slow out of the blocks this season, but are hitting form at just the right time and have now leapfrogged The Eagles.
Simon Church broke the deadlock on 23 minutes with Jimmy Kebe doubling their advantage within minutes of the restart.
Sean Scannell pulled one back to give the home side hope, but Church's second late on secured yet another fine three-point haul.
It could have been so different had Royals keeper Adam Federici not pulled off a stunning fingertip save to deny Darren Ambrose in the fifth minute.
The 16-goal midfielder, whose free-kick came so close to knocking Aston Villa out of the cup, met Neil Danns' cross perfectly on the volley but Federici just managed to stick out an arm and keep the ball out.
Federici also blocked a Danns volley and Calvin Andrew put a free header over with Palace dominating.
Yet it was Reading who went ahead in the 23rd minute with their first real attack, and former Selhurst winger Jobi McAnuff was the instigator.
Despairing dive
Kebe found McAnuff on the right and his deep cross was met by Church, whose acrobatic volley crashed into the ground before bouncing over the despairing dive of Julian Speroni.
Church should have doubled Reading's lead when he sprung the Palace offside trap and charged through one-on-one with Speroni but his heavy touch allowed the home keeper to block.
Warnock threw on striker Alan Lee at the break in a bid to retrieve the situation - but his hopes were immediately dashed.
Federici pulled off another fine save to keep out another Ambrose thunderbolt, and almost immediately Reading were two up.
Brynjar Gunnarsson's cross was headed on by Palace's Nick Carle into the path of Kebe, who neatly side-footed a volley past the exposed Speroni.
It could have been three moments later but Church's cheeky effort clipped the outside of a post.
Substitute Scannell stole in unmarked to head home Ambrose's corner in the 55th minute to offer Palace a glimmer of hope.
But they could not find an equaliser and instead Matt Mills teed up Church to wrap up the win with nine minutes remaining.
