Reading 1 Blackburn Rovers 2

And on Saturday, Rovers boss Mark Hughes earned his pips for masterminding VR day (Victory in Reading) when all seemed lost.

After the first half, the rampant Royals seemed certain to send Rovers retreating north to lick their wounds after another lost campaign.

But a tactical re-calculation by the Rovers chief at the interval saw the raiders in red vanquish the Royalists and win the day.

But it took a howitzer from David Bentley to take the spoils.

Rovers made four changes from the side that beat Nancy with Michael Gray, Tugay, Morten Gamst Pedersen and Benni McCarthy all returning to duty.

But with McCarthy leading the line and Pedersen playing just behind, the visitors never carried real menace going forward in the first half.

And with the Royals tearing the Rovers defences to shreds in the first 45, the final result looked improbable.

Time and again, Kevin Doyle and Seol Ki-Hyeon terrorised the Rovers defence and nobody would have complained had the home side been a couple up at the break.

After some early sparring, McCarthy and Gray both wasted good shooting opportunities.

Then Jay McEveley found his way into Mr Poll's notebook on eight minutes after bringing down former Claret Glen Little.

Kevin Doyle has attracted a lot of attention from the Premiership big guns and showed exactly why he's rated at £7m when he showed fleet of foot to catch and then dispossess Andre Ooijer as he tried to clear but the Dutch World Cup star forced the Irishman wide and made him blaze his effort well wide.

At the other end, McCarthy had one of several "goals" ruled out when he followed in Morten Gamst Pedersen's drive, which was only parried by Marcus Hahnemann, but the assistant referee adjudged him offside.

But with Rovers unable to hold the ball up in Reading's final third, the Royals started to boss the game.

And should have taken the lead on 21 minutes - but for the efforts of Brad Friedel.

Firstly, the big American was quick off his line to dive bravely at Seol's feet after Stephen Hunt's centre and had to get quickly back to his feet to block James Harper's close-range effort from the rebound.

And you began to wonder whether the Rovers goal was going to live a charmed life on the half hour when Steve Sidwell hit the frame of the goal with a superb header from Little's whipped free kick.

But Rovers' luck didn't last and the hosts took the lead with a well-worked goal just before the break.

Hunt had the ball on the left and spotted the run of Harper, who bust a gut to get in beyond a flat Rovers back four and this time was able to beat Friedel.

And it almost got worse for Rovers in stoppage time when Doyle out-muscled Todd and left him on the deck to get on the end of a long ball, but rather than square the ball he tried to squeeze it past Friedel and hit nothing but goalkeeper.

Jack Frost started to work his magic at the break as the night sky descended but you can bet the air was white hot in the Rovers dressing room as Mark Hughes delivered his half-time team talk.

And that's when he produced his tactical masterstroke.

Field Marshall Hughes brought on Shabani Nonda to give Rovers a presence up front and it paid almost instant dividends.

The ball started to stick in the final third and, and all of a sudden, the midfield marauders started to influence the game and provide ammo to the front lines.

And they should have been level two minutes after the break.

Pedersen fed a lovely ball over to McCarthy who produced an equally delicate chip but assistant referee Mr Williams heeded the calls for offside despite the fact McCarthy was clearly behind the Reading defender.

Pedersen caused Hahnemann a moment's panic when his ball into the area almost fell underneath the bar but the Royals stopper was able to push it over for a corner.

McCarthy had another goal ruled out for offside and then, on 55 minutes, McCarthy was denied a penalty when Ibrahima Sonko seemed to clip his ankles as he turned him inside out on the edge of the box.

As he fell to ground, Mr Poll responded in the negative to Rovers' penalty claims, and didn't book the prostate McCarthy for diving, which makes you wonder what he was doing? Probably practising counting to two.

But McCarthy got his just deserts and Rovers' leveller on 64 minutes.

A quick free found Lucas Neill down the right and he put a super ball into the box for a totally unmarked McCarthy who had simple task of nodding the ball home.

For once, Mr Williams, who at one stage in the second half looked like he was practising semaphore because he changed his mind so often, kept his flag down. McCarthy showed his appreciation by tossing the ball to his nemesis with the flag. Mr Poll then showed his by brandishing a yellow card to the South African international.

Rovers now had the bit between their teeth and penned Reading in their own territory.

Bentley won the ball and smacked in a shot that Hahnemann only parried. The ball came back to the England under-21 star who sent in another effort only for it to hit Pedersen right in front of goal and Reading were able to clear.

On a rare foray upfield, a low ball into the box by Graeme Murty found Ivar Ingimarsson but he couldn't divert the ball past Friedel.

With time ticking down, Rovers went on the offensive for the winner and all of their big guns pounded the Reading line.

And Rovers got their winner and it was Wingman Bentley who made himself the dashing hero six minutes from time.

And it was a goal carved out of nothing. Little seemed on when he intercepted former Clarets star's John Oster's pass just inside his own half.

But a clever little flick into space left the Royals left-back Shorey for dead and the England under-21 star was able to gallop 30 yards to the edge of the box.

Then, with bodies lining up in the box, Bentley unleashed a thunderbolt that whizzed past the Royals stopper before he could react and the ball crashed into the net.

The joy and relief from Rovers bench was palpable as the visitors poured onto the side of the pitch in delight.

And at the final whistle, Hughes and his generals were jumping with joy and enjoyed an early Christmas party in front of the travelling fans who had made the long trip to Berkshire.

This was a battle Rovers needed to win if they are to have a successful Premiership campaign.

And with the Gunners next up, the troops in blue and white can go to the Emirates full of confidence.