Reading boss Paul Ince branded his players 'mentally weak' after their 'wake-up call' against Sunderland. The Black Cats cruised to a 3-0 win against the Royalst, who previously boasted a 100 percent record at the Madejski Stadium this season.
Sunderland's victory was all the more impressive given that all three of their goals - two of which came from Patrick Roberts and the other from Jack Clarke - came after Ellis Simms had limped off with a toe injury 10 minutes before half-time. That left Tony Mowbray's men without a fit senior striker, as leading scorer Ross Stewart is currently sidelined for at least six weeks with a thigh problem.
Reading had made a good start to the season and remain fourth in the table, one point and two places above the Black Cats, but Ince gave a withering assessment of his team's performance. "It looked a tired - which we shouldn't be saying as we had the Watford game called off [at the weekend, following the death of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II] - and nervous performance," he said.
