Full-time: Bristol City 1 Reading 4

A LACKLUSTRE Bristol City were taught a painful lesson as a rampant Reading ran riot at Ashton Gate.

Unbeaten in their last four Championship outings, the Robins had no answer to the Royal's Premier League class, crashing to their heaviest defeat of the season in front of their stunned supporters.

Star striker Kevin Doyle scored twice to take his season's tally to 11 and Noel Hunt and Kalifa Cisse completed the rout.

Had it not been for City keeper Adriano Basso, the visitors would have won by an even wider margin.

On-loan striker Stern John snatched his first goal for the club in injury time but it was scant consolation.

This was City's heaviest defeat at home since Blackpool won 4-2 at Ashton Gate in August 2006 and manager Gary Johnson must now lift his deflated players ahead of next weekend's Sky TV date at Southampton.

Having failed to beat any of the sides above them in the Championship table so far this season, City again found the going hard against one of the promotion favourites.

A record of one win in seven games away from home might have caused some to question Reading's credentials, but Steve Coppell's side made all the running in the first half at Ashton Gate.

Noel Hunt and Doyle both had chances to score as the Royals came flying out of the traps and the home defence looked decidedly ill at ease.

The visitors required just 14 minutes to break the deadlock, Doyle taking an astute pass from Noel Hunt in his stride and holding off Liam Fontaine to beat Basso from a narrow angle.

And Reading doubled their lead 68 seconds later, Cisse threading the ball through to Noel Hunt, whose shot proved too good for Basso.

Having not conceded a goal for 405 minutes, the Robins now had to cope with the shock of giving two away in as many minutes.

City lacked the cutting edge required to trouble a defence packed with Premier League experience and loan signing John, called up to the starting line-up for the first time since his move from Southampton, was the only player in a red shirt to threaten a fightback.

Marcus Hahnemann made a superb save to keep out the Trinidad & Tobago striker's diving header in the 36th minute and John then fired inches wide from 30 yards out.

But the best chances continued to come at the other end and Basso was forced into a smart save when Noel Hunt's drive took a deflection off Fontaine.

The next goal was always going to prove decisive and Reading scored it three minutes into the second half.

Fontaine lost possession to Jimmy Kebe, whose cross exposed City's under-manned defence. Noel Hunt's shot was scrambled off the line, only for Doyle to force the ball in at the back post.

And things went from bad to worse for the home side when Cisse brushed Lee Johnson aside to beat Basso with a thunderous shot from 20 yards on 54 minutes.

City boss Johnson responded by making a triple substitution, sending on John Akinde, Lee Trundle and David Noble for Nicky Maynard, Johnson and Ivan Sproule, but it proved too little too late.

Stern John had a goal disallowed for offside and Bradley Orr shot weakly at Hahnemann as City laboured to break down opponents whose work ethic gave them the edge all over the park.

For those still around in inury time to see it, John scored with a volley that went in off the bar.