No Royals pardon for struggling Wigan

Reading's Ivar Ingimarsson, pictured in 2006. Reading condemned Wigan to a club record eighth consecutive league defeat with a 3-2 win that was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests.

Reading condemned Wigan to a club record eighth consecutive league defeat with a 3-2 win that was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests.

Although Wigan snatched an early lead through Emile Heskey, Steve Coppell's side were on top for most of the contest, goals from Ivar Ingimarsson, Shane Long and Leroy Lita making the game safe before Denny Landzaat scored a last-minute consolation effort for the visitors.

Wigan have lost their last nine matches in all competitions and Paul Jewell's side look increasingly like relegation material.

It had briefly appeared that Jewell's luck might be about to change as his side made a bright start to the match.

Heskey sprung Reading's offside trap and went on to beat American goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann from just inside the area with a little over two minutes on the clock.

Wigan almost doubled their lead in the 13th minute when a volley from new signing Caleb Folan skimmed the top of the bar.

But the home side began to assert themselves and, after Lita had gone close with a header, claimed a deserved equaliser from a free-kick awarded after Heskey's clumsy challenge on Stephen Hunt.

Nicky Shorey's delivery was deflected out of the box but Lita quickly sent it back into the goalmouth and Ingimarsson came in behind Chris Kirkland to head the ball into the empty net.

Long put Reading ahead six minutes after the break after Kirkland's attempt at a punched clearance sent the ball straight to Hunt, who controlled it on his chest and lifted the ball back over the goalkeeper to give Long an easy headed finish.

Lita - scorer of a double in last weekend's FA Cup win over Birmingham - made sure of all three points with a deft finish from an acute angle in the 88th minute, ensuring that Landzaat's strike with the last kick of the game had no bearing on the outcome.