Cairney at the double as Fulham sink 10-man Reading

Fulham extended their unbeaten Sky Bet Championship run to five matches with a comfortable 4-1 victory over 10-man Reading.

Captain Tom Cairney gave Fulham an early lead before Reading lost midfielder John Swift to a red card after 20 minutes.

Reading replied quickly, with visiting goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli having to save smartly from Meite’s angled effort.

Fulham’s growing authority was rewarded in the 13th minute when they went ahead through Cairney.

Stefan Johansen’s pass created the space on the edge of the home area and Cairney curled home his third goal in successive matches past Rafael.

But Fulham made it 4-0 in the 67th minute when Rafael’s attempted clearance was blocked and Cairney cleverly lobbed the ball over him into the empty net.

Meite’s powerful left-footed drive in the 89th minute was no more than a minor consolation for Reading.

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