Fulham 2 Reading 1
Bryan Ruiz came off the bench and struck deep into stoppage time to earn Fulham their first league win of 2015.
The returning Alex Kacaniklic had put the Whites ahead early in the second half, ending a 325-minute Championship goal drought.
Reading, unbeaten in their last four in all competitions, responded when Pavel Pogrebnyak headed in Oliver Norwood’s corner.
But Fulham snatched it when Ruiz, who was introduced as a 78th minute substitute, reacted quickest to Cauley Woodrow’s nod back.
Kit Symons’ side had not scored a league goal since their 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday on 20 December.
They came mightily close late in the first half when Hugo Rodallega hit the post just after Shaun Hutchinson’s header had been blocked by Reading keeper Adam Federici.
The visitors were also a threat, with Hal Robson-Kanu going closest as he turned in the box but sent an effort just wide of the upright.
The game exploded into life in an eight minute spell not long after the restart.
Fulham went in front as Scott Parker threaded a pass into the path of Kacaniklic, and he slid the ball through he legs of Federici.
But Reading pegged them back on 62 minutes when Norwood delivered a corner and Pobregnyak headed home.
Ruiz came on for goalscorer Kacaniklic and he was to prove the match-winner.
Ross McCormack sent a cross to the back post where Woodrow headed it across for the Costa Rican to nod in from close range.
Fulham (4-1-2-1-2): Bettinelli; Grimmer, Hutchinson, Bodurov, Stafylidis; Parker; Tunnicliffe, Fofana; Kacaniklic (Ruiz 78); Rodallega (Woodrow 73), McCormack
Subs not used: Kiraly, Burn, Roberts, G. Williams, Dembele.
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This post was last modified on 17/01/2015