This is how it played out as Sunderland overcome major injury blow with stunning counter-attacking win

Simms’ setback leaves the team without a recognised striker but a brace from Patrick Roberts and a goal from Jack Clarke to cap a brilliant counter ruthlessly exposed a sluggish home defence.

It turned out to be a remarkable night for the 2,000 who had made the long midweek trip south.

Mowbray had warned before the game was his biggest fear was that Sunderland would follow a number of Championship teams into Reading’s trap. That they would dominate possession, feel as if they had played well, and get caught out on the break.

For half an hour you could see why. The hosts sat off, defended deep and in numbers, looking to spring Lucas Joao free as soon as they won it back. They threatened little, but for all their possession neither did Sunderland. Good play from Lynden Gooch almost forced an opening, but Jack Clarke just couldn’t quite connect with the cross at the back post.

It had been a fairly tepid game until the half hour mark, a strong Sunderland break offering promise and then quickly alarm. Simms almost got on the end of a Roberts cross, but took a blow to the foot as his opposite number deflected the ball out for a corner. The dug-out, 2,000 fans in the away end and countless more on Wearside held their breath as the Everton loanee tried twice to run off what looked like an obviously troublesome injury.

Temporarily down to ten Sunderland almost conceded as Mamadou Loum met a corner, but against all logic Sunderland were two ahead within minutes.

Mowbray reverted to a back four, dropped Elliot Embleton deep into midfield and Reading couldn’t pick him up. He launched a counter with a pass out to Roberts on the right wing, the winger cutting inside and simply never stopping. He curled an effort into the far corner and repeated the trick almost immediately, Embleton combining with Pritchard and again finding his team-mate via an audacious Dan Neil dummy.

The away end could barely believe what they’d seen.

Reading responded at the start of the second half by switching themselves to a back four, making for a more open and scrappy game. There was space now for Sunderland to break, but they were just lacking the final ball to make it count.

That changed with 20 minutes to play, when they produced a counter-attacking goal to better even their first two efforts. They played out from Patterson to Neil, who found Roberts first time. Another first-touch flick to Pritchard, another out to Neil and then a glorious cross to Clarke. The winger cut inside his defender and found the bottom corner to cap off a stunning team move.

Reading had chances to respond, but twice Junior Hoilett’s composure let him down in promising areas and it was Sunderland who finished on top, Clarke turning an effort just wide when spring clear by Amad.

There was even time for a hugely encouraging debut from Jewison Bennette, who forced a good save from Lumley after a rapid break into space.

Reading XI: Lumley; Holmes, Hutchinson (Meite, 65), McIntyre; Yiadom, Fornah, Hendrick, Loum (Rahman, 45), Hoilett; Ince, Joao (Craig, 85)

Subs: Bouzanis, Guiness-Walker, Abrefa, Ehibhatiomhan

Sunderland XI: Patterson; O’Nien, Batth, Alese; Gooch, Evans, Neil, Clarke, Pritchard (Matete, 73), Roberts (Diallo, 73); Simms (Embleton, 37)

Subs: Bass, Dajaku, Bennette, Hume

Bookings: Alese, 62 Yiadom, 71