TENDAYI Darikwa scored his first goal for Burnley, but could not stop the Clarets slipping to their first home defeat of the season.

Sean Dyche’s side gave themselves a mountain to climb after going 2-0 down in the opening nine minutes.

Reading striker Nick Blackman struck first after capitalising on Michael Keane’s mis-hit and firing across Tom Heaton into the bottom right corner.

Lucas Piazon doubled the advantage, drilling in the second from the edge of the box, after Reading were allowed to pop the ball around too easily.

Burnley recovered their defensive resilience, and tried to build attacks, but they could conjure nothing clinical enough to test goalkeeper Jonathan Bond.

Michael Kightly had a couple of chances but the first was comfortable for the Royals’ stopper after he cut in from the left, and the second was well charged down by Chris Gunter.

Sam Vokes took Ben Mee’s diagonal ball 18 yards out and advanced, but Reading scrambled the ball away before he had the chance to shoot.

Burnley had bags of possession, but nothing to show for it.

There were no changes in personnel for either team at the start of the second half, but a double substitution before the hour made Burnley more dynamic going forward, resulting in the goal.

Scott Arfield, restored to the wing with the introduction of Joey Barton for his Burnley debut, crossed from the left and Darikwa met it with a firm close-range volley at the far post.

Chris Long was the other half of a double substitution and his fresh legs had Reading’s back line back-tracking at times.

Vokes had a couple of chances, and Keane thought he had scored with a header from a corner, but Burnley-born Oliver Norwood somehow cleared off the line.

George Boyd won a late corner that goalkeeper Tom Heaton went up for deep into stoppage time, but Reading cleared Matt Taylor’s delivery and killed off Burnley’s last chance.