Reading opened up a seven-point gap at the top of the Championship after beating free-scoring Blackburn in an exciting contest at Ewood Park.

The Royals needed just nine seconds to take the lead as Yakou Meite side-footed into an empty net after a defensive mistake, but Blackburn were level two minutes later through Adam Armstrong.

Michael Olise ran through to put Reading ahead and Josh Laurent's curling effort from outside of the box made it 3-1 to Reading after just 18 minutes.

Armstrong had chances to score either side of the break before he eventually made it 3-2 with a diving header, before Lucas Joao finished well after breaking through to settle the game.

The victory means Reading have won seven and drawn the other of their first eight league games - their second-best start to a league season in their history behind the 1985-86 campaign in the old Third Division when they won all of their first eight games.

The breathless start to the match began when a long ball from the kick-off bounced off the heel of defender Barry Douglas leaving debutant goalkeeper Aynsley Pears out of position and Meite was on hand to side-foot into an empty net.

Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott created the equaliser soon after as his cross from the right was volleyed home by Armstrong, but Reading capitalised on another defensive mistake as Olise ran through and calmly finished before Laurent fired home after a weak clearance.

Armstrong's ninth league goal - a diving header from Joe Rankin-Costello's curling near-post cross from the right - moved him to the top of the Championship's goalscoring charts. His two goals against the Royals are double the number of goals Reading's previous seven league opponents had managed against them so far this season.

Joao made the game safe with his fifth goal of the season before Armstrong was denied a hat-trick late-on after a diving save by Reading goalkeeper Rafael Cabral.

Blackburn head coach Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"I think their forwards were pretty good. They obviously performed better than we did defensively.

"You can't defend like we did, what was it? Ten seconds for their opening goal? We lacked confidence against their physicality.

"I thought we were much better in the second half. We're a team on a journey, we've just got to keep going and keep believing."

Reading manager Veljko Paunovic told BBC Radio Berkshire:

"The spirit we have, the group we have, it's priceless for every coach. I'm full of gratitude for everything we've done so far.

"I'm not going to stop demanding but at this point, especially after this game, the way we won, the way we played against a very difficult rival, is unique.

"This is the first game we scored that quickly. We addressed that in the past and said it was something we needed to improve."