First Division: Watford 0 - 3 Reading
Reading may be the unfashionable entrants in this year's First Division lottery, but last night's comfortable victory suggests Alan Pardew's side should not be taken lightly when the play-offs begin.
Guaranteed a second leg at home in the play-off semi-final after last night's win, Pardew is happy for his side to be the underdogs. "We've been the surprise team all year but we believe we've got as good a chance as any," he said.
"We have been in the play-offs before and I can't wait for them. We were under huge pressure last time and fate wasn't with us but we know we're in with the big boys now and the belief is there." Pardew must have been heartened by the way his young side went about their task after he made seven changes, although he indicated many would be restored for the visit to Stoke at the weekend.
It gave Anthony Rougier a rare start, his first since late January in Reading colours after a successful loan period at Brighton, and the Trinidad and Tobago international opened the scoring with just under half an hour gone, heading in a Darius Henderson cross.
Certainly Watford, whose league season was effectively over some weeks ago, offered little encouragement.
With Ray Lewington forced to trim the playing staff by a third in the summer, it was no wonder they spent much of the first half as mere spectators, with one determined run from Tommy Smith, illegally cut out by Kevin Watson, their only moment of threat.
Watford looked brighter after the interval, with Micah Hyde and Smith both going close and Gavin Mahon volleying just wide from the edge of the area.
Reading seemed content to soak up the pressure until the substitute Jamie Cureton sent in a fine cross for Henderson to put the game beyond Watford and himself added a fine solo effort from the edge of the area in stoppage-time.
By then, Pardew had brought on Peter Castle, who became the Royals' youngest ever first-team player at just 16 years and 49 days, having been given time off from his GCSEs in order to play.
"I saw tonight that Reading have plenty of strength in depth," said Lewington, who admitted he had no complaints about the result. "Reading made changes but they have the momentum going and Pardew has done fantastically well.