AUGUST has turned into the month from hell for the Clarets.

The smallest squad in the Championship stretched to the limit by injuries, well-documented work-permit problems and a collective sequence of results that fail to reflect their competitiveness have made it a pretty miserable start.

But the tailspin into Dante's inferno hit a new level in the defeat at the Madejski Stadium, where Wayne Thomas's knee injury overshadowed all that has gone before.

Former Claret Glen Little will be as anxious as everyone else to hear the diagnosis after stumbling onto Thomas in the final minutes at the Madejski Stadium and leaving the defender writhing in agony on the turf.

If, as suspected, Thomas's worrying injury is revealed as a cruciate, it seems unlikely the former Stoke City stopper will play again this season.

And of all the blows dealt to Cotterill so far this season, losing a key member of his squad just about sums up his luck at present.

The irony, of course, is that Thomas was only facing Reading in the first place after the Clarets lodged an appeal against his ridiculous sending-off against Derby County at the weekend.

And just to add insult to serious injury, Garreth O'Connor picked up an instant red card and a probable three-match ban for a late kick at Bobby Convey's legs in front of his perplexed manager.

Oh, and finally, there's the small matter of Reading's two goals coming courtesy of summer targets for Burnley - namely Leroy Lita and Eire U21 striker Kevin Doyle.

Somebody up there is really enjoying kicking a manager while he's down!

It all started so promisingly on a swelteringly hot afternoon in Berkshire

Thomas's inclusion afforded the Clarets boss the rare luxury of naming an unchanged starting 11 for the first time this season after that injury-ravaged start to the campaign.

And McGreal typically made his presence felt as early as the fourth minute with a thunderous block to deny the rampaging Steve Sidwell.

Jon Harley then stopped Little in his tracks as the former Claret tricked his way into the area down the right.

But it was third time lucky for the Royals in the eighth minute as Lita notched up his fourth league goal of the season with a stunner.

Dave Kitson's threaded pass bobbled off a Burnley knee and, with his back to goal 12 yards out, the £1m signing from Bristol City brilliantly hooked the ball over the advancing Danny Coyne with the outside of his right boot.

Burnley's response was positive and some lengthy possession culminated in Garreth O'Connor dragging a shot wide from 18 yards.

Harley picked up his first booking for Burnley soon after - another ridiculously petty refereeing decision following a clumsy tackle on Little.

Welsh number one Coyne, meanwhile, was warming up nicely to face England strikers Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen this weekend,

He first got down well to smother Bobby Convey's dangerous inswinging cross into the six-yard box and then held onto the American's ambitious 30-yard free kick.

But the half ended with Reading's Marcus Hahnemann the busier of the two keepers. The American needed to be alert to hold onto McGreal's prodded cross after James O'Connor slid him down the left channel.

But three minutes before the break, he was beaten by a classy strike from th e in-form Ade Akinbiyi, who held the ball up in typical fashion on the edge of the area before spinning Ivar Ingimarsson and finding the bottom right hand corner for his sixth goal of an already productive season.

The powerhouse striker was close to seventh heaven moments later, comfortably outpacing Ingimarsson but unable to keep his angled drive below the crossbar.

And as the Clarets ended the half well in the ascendancy, skipper Micah Hyde was just unable to find the power to beat Hahnemann after creating room in the box.

Straight from the restart, the Clarets were at reading again and Akinbiyi wasted a golden chance with a far post header from Garreth O'Connor's cross.

However, a warning of things to come arrived in the 47th minute when unmarked Reading sub Doyle was given the freedom of the six-yard box, but somehow directed his free header from Convey's corner over the bar.

Doyle, who livened up the Royals attack following Kitson's withdrawal, caused more flutters when he nipped in ahead of McGreal and charged towards goal before crucially over-running the ball.

But as a nip-and-tuck half progressed and Burnley looked to have snuffed out the Royals threat - with the home fans growing increasingly restless and the Clarets enjoying plenty of possession in Reading territory - disaster struck in the 70th minute.

Doyle's earlier miss failed to put the defence on red alert and from Graeme Murty's short corner to Convey, the Irish striker was again left unmarked and this time he punished them.

James O'Connor warmed Hahnemann's fingers with 10 minutes remaining following good work by Michael Duff and Garreth-O'Connor.

But with he clock running down, Little and Thomas got in a tangle and the Burnley defender was a sorry sight as he was gingerly helped down the tunnel.

Garreth O'Connor was booked in the aftermath, but in stoppage time his unnecessary swipe at Convey brought a harsh, but understandable straight red card that was a fitting epitaph to a miserable month.

September can't come quick enough!

READING: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey (Makin 46), Sonko, Ingimarsson, Little, Sidwell, Harper, Convey, Lita, Kitson (Doyle 40).

Subs: Oster, Stack, Hunt.

GOALS: Lita 8, Akinbiyi 42, Doyle 70

REF: R Olivier. 5

BOOKINGS: Harley, Harper, G O'Connor

SENT OFF: G O'Connor 90

ATT: 14,027