Reading 1 (Mills 13)
Sheff Utd 3 (Quinn 42, Ward 62, Cotterill 90)

The Royals have been soundly beaten, despite taking the lead against Sheffield United this afternoon.

A strike just before the break, a mistake from Federici for the second and an injury time screamer means Matt Mills' opener is not enough at Madejski Stadium.

Reading (4-4-2 diamond): Federici; Rosenior, Bertrand (Harper 88), Mills, Pearce (c); Karacan, Cisse (Davies 67), Tabb; Sigurdsson, Hunt (Church 75), Long
Subs: Hamer, Gunnarsson, Harper, Henry, Robson-Kanu.

Sheff Utd: Bunn; Walker, Taylor, Kilgallon, Morgan (c); Montgomery, Quinn, Ward, Treacy (Cotterill 27); Evans (France 85), Henderson
Subs: Bennett, Bromby, Reid, Sharp
Yellow: Morgan, Cotterill.

Ref: MP Russell
Att: 16,025

Live updates
2pm - Reading's team is in. Four changes for the Royals, with Tabb, Sigurdsson, Hunt and Long all coming in for Davies, Henry, Robson-Kanu and Church. Sheff U's team is in, and they only have six subs. Glen Little is here, but misses out on a place on the bench, one can only assume with an injury.

2:20pm - Live commentary is up and running on the Reading FC Player. Former England man David Armstrong is co-commentator alongside Peter Hood. Nicholas Bignall was live on air at 1:45pm - make sure you tune in at that time for every home game to hear from a Reading star live on air.

4 mins - The game has begun at a very sedate pace - not something we've come to expect from a clash between Reading and Sheffield United to be honest. Reading are passing it about at the back trying to draw United out a bit.

5 mins - A grat chance presents itself to Keith Treacy. He is fed by Andy Taylor and the winger takes a great first touch away from Mills. He hammers it just over the crossbar from only ten yards out and that could easily have been the opener.

10 mins - Reading still trying to find their feet and pass their way forward. It's not working yet though.

12 mins - Noel Hunt wins a corner and Gylfi Sigurdsson twice swings it in from the right only for a Blades head to nod it behind and then away from danger on the second occasion.

13 mins - GOAL! Sigurdsson now has a free kick to test United's defence with and he swings it in from the left. Mills rises unchallenged and nods down into the ground and past Bunn from five yards out. Mills has scored on his home league debut and Reading have opened their account for 2009/10.

14 mins - Reading looking for another now. Tabb opts not to shoot, Hunt rolls off his man and looks for a penalty, Sigurdsson cuts a ball back looking for Long but United scramble it behind for a corner. Good stuff from the Royals.

22 mins - Reading are passing it about higher up the field now. Tabb goes in well to win the ball off Evans in midfield but the referee stops play while Evans gets some treatment after feeling the effects of that no nonsense challenge.

24 mins - Tabb finds Long down the left who wriggles around his man to pass it inside from the byline. Hunt touches it back first time for Tabb, who hooks a first time shot just over the crossbar. A good move from Reading.

27 mins - Blades sub. Kevin Blackwell has been forced into an early substitution. He replaces Keith Treacy with David Cotterill.

28 mins - Rosenior delivers a cross from the right which Sigurdsson flicks on and for a second it looks like Long might check his run enough to wrap a right leg around it and volley goalwards from close range. But a United leg deflects it away from the Irish striker at the last second.

35 mins - Taylor and Karacan go in for a 50:50 but Taylor's left leg comes down very hard on Karacan's legitimate slide. Jem looks like he might be really hurt and physio Jon Fearn helps him hobble to the sidelines for more treatment. A nasty tackle from Taylor, but Karacan is back on and running around.

42 mins - GOAL! The Royals can't hang on til half time. A deep cross to the far post sees Henderson duck under it and it falls to Evans. He drills a low cross across the six yard box and Stephen Quinn is there to pass it high into the net without any problem at all.

45(+2) mins - Another deep cross sees the Royals outnumbered three to one at the far post. It is nodded away but drops for Evans who lashes high and wide from 15 yards out. A difficult chance but certainly a ploy that United are trying.

HALF TIME - A good start for the Royals has been spoilt by that equaliser. All to play for in the second half.

47 mins - Pearce is unable to prevent Evans glancing a free header goalwards but it drifts wide of Federici's right post from 12 yards out.

48 mins - Reading have had a let off here maybe. A lofted cross is looped towards Henderson at the far post and he rises above Bertrand to nod inside the woodwork from a yard out. The referee has ruled it out though as Henderson got some leverage by putting his arms on Bertrand's shoulder. Replays suggest he did exactly that but some referee's might not have seen that.

52 mins - Long earns a corner with good work down the right and Sigurdsson's deliver is glances on by Cisse but across the face of goal and wide.

57 mins - Good passing between the Royals midfielders sees Tabb find Sigurdsson. He turns inside one man and shoots left-footed from 22 yards and it's past Bunn. It grazes the right post and skims wide to gasps from the home crowd. A great effort from the Icelander.

60 mins - Superb skill from Sigurdsson sees him skip past the Blades' left back and arrow a low cross into the middle. United clear Reading are building a bit of momentum here.

62 mins - Ward tries his luck from outside the box but Federici should gather this one. It must have moved in the air though because the Aussie uncharacteristically lets it through his grasp and it flies into the back of the net. Away fans celebrate and Federici is cursing his luck.

67 mins - Reading sub: Scott Davies is brought on for Kalifa Cisse.

70 mins - Davies launches a long free kick into the United box and Kilgallon hurrield tries to stab the dropping ball away. He almost ends up toeing it into his own net though but the ball squirms just wide of the left post.

75 mins - Reading sub: Simon Church is on for Noel Hunt.

77 mins - It's all a bit flat here. A silly goal given away in the first half and a mistake from Federici look like costing the Royals anything from a game they have played well in in parts.

80 mins - Kyle Walker beats Tabb on the right to stand a cross up for Henderson in the middle. He nods it down but Federici gathers it in well on his line on the bounce.

85 mins - Blades sub: Evans is off and Ryan France is on.

87 mins - Federici does well to push France's low drive across the face wide of the right post and behind for a corner. Nothing comes from the Blades' set piece.

88 mins - Reading sub: Harper is on for Bertrand as the last throw of the dice.

89 mins - The chance comes at the other end to France, who is slipped in and one on one with Federic, but takes it wide of the keeper and skews high over the bar.

90(+1) mins - The visitors cap it off with a third. Cotterill lets fly from 25 yards and Federici can only stand and watch as it flies into the top left corner. A fantastic strike and the Royals have been soundly beaten.

FULL TIME - Much improvement needed from Reading if they are to start to trouble teams of Sheffield United's prowess. Brendan Rodgers has just over a week to add to his squad.