Reading substitute Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan headed home a late winner as the Royals bolstered their play-off push by beating Burton 2-1.
The two sides had traded first-half wonder strikes, with Albion's George Evans seeing his outstanding effort cancelled out by Kamari Doyle's fantastic finish.
The shrill of referee Ed Duckworth's whistle had barely died down before a moment of controversy in the opening seconds.
Reading goalkeeper Joe Pereira raced out of his goal and handled outside the box as Jake Beesley went to knock the ball past him, but referee Duckworth and his assistant waved away Albion claims.
However, Pereira was left grasping at thin air after 25 minutes minutes as former Royals midfielder Evans swept home a superb 30-yard effort into the top corner.
Reading made Burton pay for missed chances when Lewis Wing sent Doyle through the middle - the Brighton loanee finding the top corner with a searing rising drive from just outside the box.
Albion had more reason to feel aggrieved when Andy Cannon, freshly on as a substitute, was felled inside the box by Andy Yiadom, with referee Duckworth again unmoved.
Reading snatched the points at the death when Ehibhatiomhan was in the right place to benefit from a deflected cross to head home.
Report supplied by PA Media
Gary Bowyer post-Reading (H)
Richardson: Good win
