Preston North End are now in a playoff place in the EFL Championship following a 2-1 victory over Reading at the Madejski Stadium.
Ched Evans opened the scoring for Preston as he headed home Robbie Brady's ball swinging ball into the box.
Reading were level with 20 minutes to go when Lucas Joao converted from the penalty spot as Brady brought down Andy Yiadom.
Evans struck the winner after collecting the ball just outside the box and firing low past Royals goalkeeper Joe Lumley.
The win, the Lilywhites' third on the bounce, seems them up to fifth while Reading are 11th following their fifth defeat in the last seven games.
Story of the match
Tom McIntyre initiated the first Reading attack, his through ball finding Jeff Hendrick and he played it to Baba Rahman, his cross earning the first corner of the match.
Tom Ince was able to win back possession, passed to Mamadou Loum and he fed Yiadom, who crossed into the box where Yakou Meite got on the end of it, but he headed it over the bar.
Another corner, this one by Ince, was headed behind by Jordan Storey with the next corner seeing Preston failing to clear their lines and the ball fell to Andy Carroll, who couldn't keep his shot down.
Ince got the ball on the halfway line and as he made a marauding run at the Lilywhites back line, Brady brought him down and earned a yellow card in the process.
Brady then sent a pass forward for Emil Riis Jakobsen and the Dane saw his cross intercepted by Hendrick, who headed back to Lumley.
A cross was put in by Brady and he targeted Brad Potts at the back post in the 31st minute, but the midfielder couldn't make contact with the ball.
The visitors continued to ask questions of Reading as Potts' ball into the six-yard box was headed away by Yiadom.
In first-half stoppage time, Brady cut inside with his right foot and fired for the near post, but Lumley got across well and denied him.
Evans had the first attempt of the second half, but his strike from outside the box flew into the stands.
On 50 minutes, McIntyre misjudged a ball over the top and his header back to Lumley found Riis instead, but the Royals 'keeper was equal to the challenge.
Preston then opened the scoring when the hosts couldn't deal with a corner, the initial clearance coming out to Brady and his floated pass was headed into the far corner by Evans.
Reading then searched for an equalizer, Ince trying to find Meite, but his inswinger was intercepted by Liam Lindsay.
Just before the hour mark, the Royals made a triple substitution with one of those three, Joao couldn't keep his header down from a Junior Hoilett cross.
The hosts then leveled as Yiadom took a cross field pass and cut inside and before he could cross, he was brought down by Brady.
Referee David Webb pointed to the spot and Joao stepped up and found the left corner despite Freddie Woodman guessing the right way.
Joao then made an impact at the other end, rising highest to head away Brady's corner.
In the 79th minute, Preston found a winner. Substitute Ben Woodman broke away and found Evans, who fired across goal and into the far corner.
Ince then kept a shot low, but it was hit on the wrong side of the far post after being played in by the active Joao.
In the first minute of second-half stoppage time, Tyrese Fornah worked some space on the edge of the box and wrong-footed his defender, but his shot was straight at Woodman.
Hendrick couldn't get his half-volley on target as the hosts continued searching for an equalizer.
Fornah then was able to pick out Shane Long with a delightful diagonal ball, but his header couldn't be controlled by Hendrick and Reading suffered what could be a costly defeat.
Player of the match: Ched Evans
Was having a devil of a match before springing to life with a brace that sealed all three points for Preston. His header was perfectly executed and his strike clinical with those two goals serving him well going forward.
