Stevenage missed the chance to go top of Sky Bet League One as they lost 1-0 at lowly Reading with an early Charlie Savage goal condemning them to defeat.

Boro needed a win to leapfrog leaders Stockport but failed to survive a goalmouth scramble in only the fourth minute.

Savage collected the loose ball and curled home delightfully from the edge of the area on his 100th league appearance for the club.

Boro responded positively but created little end product apart from a brace of headers from Lewis Freestone that drifted wide.

The Royals could have doubled their lead before the break but Daniel Kyerewaa and Paddy Lane wasted good openings.

In a bizarre incident shortly before half-time, referee Ben Speedie issued home left-back Jeriel Dorsett with a second yellow card – and subsequently red – for committing a foul.

However, after consulting his assistant, Speedie retracted Dorsett’s red and instead cautioned team-mate Kyerewaa for the foul.

Boro should have drawn level five minutes into the second period, when Gassan Ahadme had the goal at his mercy only to thunder his shot against the bar.

Home ‘keeper Joel Pereira made superb late stops to deny Dan Kemp and Phoenix Patterson as Reading held on for new manager Leam Richardson’s first win in his first league game in charge.