Reading 0 Bristol City 2: Cole Skuse is in no doubt when he describes this as City's "biggest and best" performance of the season so far, writes Andy Stockhausen.

At the least, the result will send shockwaves reverberating around the upper echelons of the Championship.

For so long, runaway leaders Wolves, Birmingham and Reading have been waging their own private battle for promotion to the Barclays Premier League.

But the landscape of English football's second tier is undergoing a fundamental change and several interlopers are threatening to gatecrash the party.

Not least City, who produced a high-octane display to stun title favourites Reading in front of their own fans and become only the second side to triumph at the Madejski Stadium this season.

If pundits have been slow to acknowledge City as genuine contenders in the race for the top flight, it is because the Robins have only lately taken their place at the Championship's top table.

Buoyed by an outstanding run of eight wins in 10 games, midfielder Skuse took a swipe at the critics when he claimed: "This is the kind of result that will make people sit up and take notice.

"Not many teams come to Reading and win and we've sent out a powerful message to the rest of the league.

"We've been on a fantastic run and made up a lot of ground in a short space of time without really being given the credit we're due. Hopefully, that will change now and this result will silence the critics for a while."

Like upwardly-mobile rivals Swansea, the Robins are timing their run to perfection and gaining a degree of momentum which suggests they will stay the course.

In many ways, their resurgence is reminiscent of the late run which enabled Hull City to come from nowhere to snatch promotion last season.

"Beating Reading at their own place shows we're serious about trying to win promotion," added Skuse, one of several players to lay claim to City's second goal.

"We lost 4-1 when we played them at our place and, to turn that result around in such a short time, takes some doing. We deserve some credit for that.

"This has to be our biggest and best performance of the season and it's given us the belief we need to stay in the play-off zone."

City manager Gary Johnson urged his players to treat this game as though it were a cup final and his tactic paid off handsomely.

Roared on by a raucous following of more than 4,000 Bristolians, Skuse and his team-mates met the demands of the day in magnificent fashion.

He said: "Our supporters were brilliant. You could hardly hear the Reading fans and it felt just like a home game for us.

"For so many to follow us to an away game is incredible and they definitely played their part."

So too, did manager Johnson's tactics. His decision to drop strikers Stern John and Nicky Maynard to the bench and deploy the returning Dele Adebola as a lone forward proved a masterstroke.

Consequently, City boasted a numerical advantage in midfield which enabled the visitors to stifle Reading's attacking intentions. Deprived of possession, James Harper and Kalifa Cisse were unable to supply wingers Jimmy Kebe and Stephen Hunt with the ball and much-vaunted strikers Kevin Doyle and Leroy Lita were forced to feed off scraps.

While the Royals carved out more goal-scoring opportunities than their opponents, they seldom threatened to breach a defence which was superbly-marshalled by City captain Louis Carey.

Chris Armstrong went close when rattling Adriano Basso's upright early in the first half and Lita wasted three presentable opportunities, not least when shooting over with the goal at his mercy on the hour.

Reading have scored only once in five games and must rediscover their touch in front of goal if their b id to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking is not to be reduced to dust.

Certainly, City taught Steve Coppell's side a harsh lesson in how to finish, scoring from two of only three on-target efforts.

Adebola netted the first on 26 minutes, rising unchallenged at the far post to meet Michael McIndoe's free kick with a downward header which gave keeper Adam Federici no chance.

And City killed the game as a meaningful contest less than three minutes into the second half. Lee Johnson's floated free kick caused consternation within Reading ranks and Skuse appeared to force the ball over the line amid the ensuing melee.

Or so we thought. Although the Bristolian initially claimed the goal, he later admitted any one of half a dozen players could have applied the final touch.

He revealed: "I was on the floor when it went in and there were bodies everywhere. I don't score many goals and, of course, I'm going to claim it. But the television replays will probably show that it was an own goal.

"But they count just the same whoever scores and it was a great time to go 2-0 in front. Reading looked a little bit disheartened after conceding so early in the second half and I thought we controlled the game from then on."