Reading 1
Shorey 90
Aston Villa 2
Young 45 Harewood 83
Reading 1 Aston Villa 2 February 24 2008
Aston Villa outclassed Reading at the Madejski Stadium to bring their dream of Champions League football nearer to reality and push their opponents closer towards Premier League relegation.
Ashley Young put Villa in front on the stroke of half-time, collecting Gabriel Agbonlahor's pass before lashing into the roof of Marcus Hahnemann's net.
The win was sealed with six minutes to go when substitute Marlon Harewood finished off a Villa counter attack after Young had carried the ball from inside his own half.
The Royals have now lost a club record eight successive league fixtures and appear incapable of saving themselves.
Villa could have triumphed by a much larger margin, especially as Gareth Barry missed a first-half penalty.
Nicky Shorey's 90th-minute free-kick consolation - Reading's first goal in 540 minutes of play - had no bearing on the game.