Kebe at the double to spoil Danny's big day (From The Advertiser Series)

Kebe at the double to spoil Danny's big day

4:55pm Saturday 2nd February 2013 in Sport By Richard Mason, Sports Writer/Sub-Editor

JIMMY KEBE'S brace condemned Sunderland to their first league defeat since January 2 as Reading battled to victory.

Kebe scored either side of a Craig Gardner penalty to hand the Royals all three points in a scrappy encounter.

The Reading striker opened the scoring on seven minutes with a smart finish into the top corner, while Gardner rifled in a 29th minute penalty after John O'Shea was felled by Pavel Pogrebnyak.

Danny Graham made a ten-minute cameo – after receiving the applause of the 2,000 travelling Sunderland fans - and had two fine efforts on goal within minutes of his introduction, but Kebe struck again on 85 minutes to head home Ian Harte's free-kick.

READING: Federici; Kelly, Mariappa, Pearce, Harte; Kebe, McCleary (Le Fondre 65), Leigertwood, McAnuff; Pogrebnyak (Blackman 72), Akpan. Subs: Shorey, Karacan, Morrison, Guthrie, Taylor.

SUNDERLAND (4-5-1): Mignolet; Gardner, O'Shea, Bramble, Colback; Sessegnon (Graham 80), Larsson (Rose 46), N'Diaye, Vaughan (McClean 62), Johnson; Fletcher. Subs: Bardsley, Mangane, Wickham, Westwood.

Att: 23,829 (2,171)