Reading earned a massive victory at Preston North End, holding off a late fightback to win 3-2 on Saturday afternoon.

The Royals raced into a 3-0 lead thanks to a brace from Lucas Joao and one from John Swift but Preston responded with two goals of their own to set up the nerviest of finishes.

Reading made just one change for the trip to Deepdale, Junior Hoilett coming into the side for Yakou Meite while new signing Brandon Barker started on the bench.

It took Veljko Paunovic’s beleaguered Reading team just two minutes to grab the lead. From the first attack of the game, Reading were awarded a corner and when the home side couldn’t clear their lines John Swift’s low cross was eventually touched home by Lucas Joao after a goalmouth scramble.

Preston hadn’t lost any of their six Championship matches in the build-up to Saturday’s clash with Reading but they were soon 2-0 down. Once again, it was Joao who got it, this time in far more spectacular fashion than the first. After receiving the ball on the edge of the box, the striker twisted past his marker before unleashing a piledriver into the top corner.

Joao should have had his hat-trick seven minutes before the break but couldn’t take advantage of some effective improvisation from Tom Holmes. When a mis-hit free-kick fell to the defender he flicked it over the top of the defence and through to Joao who saw his prod saved.

Preston, who created almost nothing for the first 44 minutes, were nearly gifted a goal back on the stroke of half-time. Holmes dawdled on a routine pass out from the back and when Scott Sinclair pinched it off him and passed to Emil Riis it seemed certain the Royals would be breached. Fortunately, Riis smashed the ball over the bar with only Hein to beat to preserve Reading’s 2-0 advantage.

Reading started the second half as they did the first and very nearly made it 3-0 with a flurry of chances shortly. First John Swift saw a long-range free-kick deflected just wide before Michael Morrison saw an effort blocked off the line from the ensuing corner. Joao went just as close seconds later when his header was saved initially before the back-spinning ball was again cleared off the line.

The visitors wouldn’t be denied for long though and Swift finally made it 3-0 in the 55th minute. A sweeping counter-attack saw Swift and Joao interchange passes before the former cooly lifted the ball into the far corner.

Unfortunately, disaster struck immediately as Preston got one back straight from kick-off when Daniel Johnson raced through and finished past Hein with the help of a deflection.

Now under intense pressure, Reading very nearly handed Preston a second goal shortly after when Danny Drinkwater’s loose pass was seized on. Thankfully, Morrison was on hand to block Johnson’s eventual effort.

Ryan Lowe’s side did however get back into the game with 15 to go. After Reading failed to clear a Preston corner, Cameron Archer applied the final touch from close range to set up a nervy finish.

Preston very nearly completed the comeback moments later when Scott Sinclair cut inside, beat Holmes, and curled his shot just over the bar. Ched Evans had the hosts next chance, heading wide from 12 yards out.

Evans had one more chance to steal a point but Holmes slid in with a heroic block as Reading just about got over the line to claim a massive three points.

READING FC XI: Hein, Yiadom, Morrison, Holmes, Baba Rahman (61’); Rinomhota, Drinkwater; Swift, Ince, Hoilett (Meite 67’); Joao