Reading returned from the international break with an emphatic 4-1 victory over strugglers Crawley Town, although the scoreline does not do the visitors justice in what was a close contest.

Amadou Mbengue, Lewis Wing, Charlie Savage and Sam Smith all got on the scoresheet for the Royals but the Red Devils had two chances cleared off the line and forced David Button into a string of saves, suggesting finishing is the route cause of their six-match losing run.

Ruben Selles made three changes from the last league match, a 2-1 defeat at Rotherham United before the international break, with Charlie Savage, Andre Garcia and Adrian Akande coming into the starting lineup.

With a bumper crowd, the onus was on Reading to create chances and get the supporters off on feet. Starting fast with lots of energy, it took eight minutes for the first effort as Savage won the ball high and fed Akande, whose low-drilled cross found Sam Smith in the box. Connecting well, Jojo Wollacott made a smart save, and the linesman flag rendered the chance offside.

Crawley, who had lost seven of their last eight matches, certainly didn’t look like a side floundering and were the better side for much of the opening period. Will Swann could have put the visitors ahead inside 11 minutes, cutting in and forcing David Button into a smart save.

It was a free-kick that eventually allowed the Royals to break the deadlock. Wing’s deep free-kick wreaked havoc in the box and Mbengue spun like a seasoned striker before powering an effort past Wollacott. Rattled, 16-year-old Andre Garcia had the next effort after winning the ball deep in the Crawley half, but his effort blazed high and wide.

Reading, and Button in particular, were let off the hook moments later as the goalkeeper ceded possession in his box and Ronan Darcy had an open goal to tap into. However, the forward did not account for Mbengue flying across the goalline and blocking the effort from somehow crossing the line. On top and in the ascendancy, it did not shock too many in attendance when the Red Devils levelled the scores on the halfway line. A corner was cut back to the edge of the box and Forster’s low effort was deflected by Tyler Bindon and past Button.

Rob Elliott’s side looked the most likely to edge ahead, but where there’s a Wing, there’s a way. The captain stepped up from over 30 yards and fired an unstoppable effort into the top corner to put the hosts back ahead with five minutes of the half remaining.

Crawley began the second half as they had played most of the first, on top and on the front foot. Button had to be at his best to deny Swann and Forster, both of whom had troubled the Royals in the opening period.

With what was their first real chance of the half, with 25 minutes remaining, Reading scored the all-important third goal. Smith was fed through the middle ad Wollacott met him a long way out from his box. Preventing Smith from scoring, the ball fell to Savage who expertly volleyed a lob into the empty net to put some breathing space between the sides.

Tyler Bindon was required with a goalline clearance of his own shortly after as it became apparent it would not be Crawley’s day in front of goal. To add gloss into the scoreline, Smith expertly controlled Wing’s delicately dinked pass on his chest and rolled past Wollacott to add a fourth with 15 minutes remaining.

Substitute Jayden Wareham thought he had added a fifth, but the offside flag curtailed his celebrations in front of a busy Eamonn Dolan Stand.

Chem Campbell hit the side netting but the damage had been done and Reading head to Exeter City on Tuesday (7.45pm kick-off) looking for a first away win of the season.