NEIL Warnock, the oldest manager in the Championship, took on Reading's Brendan Rodgers, the youngest, and put his 29 years of management experience to good use at the Madejski Stadium.

Seemingly briefed on keeper Adam Federici's vulnerability to long-shots, Warnock's players relentlessly targeted the Australian stopper with a string of stinging drives – and it paid off.

After eight minutes Nathaniel Clyne found space down the right and let rip with a vicious shot from 25 yards which beat the cumbersome number one.

Reading tried their best to hit back from the kick-off but were denied a penalty when Jose Fonte appeared to block a Jay Tabb shot with his hands.

The Eagles were again clinging on two minutes later when Clint Hill, making his 100th appearance for the club, blocked bravely from Reading's Rasiak.

After a scrappy fifteen minutes in which neither side threatened goal, Palace lost their lead when centre-back Alex Pearce's bullet header beat the outstretched Speroni from a McAnuff corner.

But Palace, pinned in their own 18-yard box for much of the first half, sealed the win during three minutes of mayhem just before the break.

First Moses went close with a half-volley from 20 yards which skimmed the crossbar, and narrowly missed sixty seconds later when put clean through by Shaun Derry.

It was left to Darren Ambrose to put his side back in front after 44 minutes with his seventh goal in seven games. His swerving right foot effort was clumsily palmed inside the left post by Federici.

Sensing the keeper's weakness, Moses then followed up with the goal he deserved. His right foot drive slammed into the top left hand corner from 25 yards out.

Reading, who have the worst home record in the Championship, fought back bravely after half-time. Rasiak's looping header hit the bar and substitute Hal Robson-Kanu was denied by the dependable Speroni from close range.

Moses tried his luck again on the hour mark, but this time Federici got his body behind the winger's long-distance effort and pushed it behind for a corner.

His opposite number Jimmy Kebe caused sporadic problems for Clyne down the right and it was his hard work which led to Danny Butterfield's clumsy challenge on Rasiak on the penalty spot.

Substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson stepped up to send Speroni the wrong way and set-up a nervy final ten minutes.

But man-of-the-match Victor Moses curled in another beautiful right foot curler in the 90th minute to seal the win and boost Palace's play-off hopes.

Reading - Federici, Cisse, Gunnarsson (Robson-Kanu), Tabb, Matejovsky, McAnuff , Kebe, Ingimarsson, Rasiak, Bertrand (Sigurdsson), Pearce

Subs not used - Mills, Robson-Kanu, Karacan, Hamer, Cummings, O'Dea

Crystal Palace - Speroni, Clyne, Butterfield, Fonte, Hill, Derry, Danns, Ertl, Andrew (Lee), Ambrose, Moses (Sears)

Subs not used - N'Diaye, Smith, Carle, Scannell, Davis

Attendance 16, 629