Arouna Kone scored twice as Wigan Athletic beat 10-man Reading 3-0 this afternoon to climb above their relegation rivals in the Premier League table.
© PA Photos
Kone netted twice in the minutes prior to the break at the Madjeski Stadium, while Maynor Figueroa, creator of both of the Ivorian's goals, netted a third just after the interval.
Reading have produced several second-half comebacks in recent weeks but a Pavel Pogrebnyak red card ended their slim chances of a repeat performance.
Adam Federici produced a low save to palm Franco di Santo's powerful early drive around the post, but the Royals keeper was helpless to deny either of Kone's brace of strikes.
On 44 minutes, Figueroa directed a header goalwards which found the net via a deflection off Kone, who dinked Wigan two clear.
The Latics' forward collected a Figueroa pass 35 yards out, travelled with the ball past a pair of Reading defenders before cleverly chipping Federici just ninety seconds after bagging his first.
Honduran Figueroa then ended a two-year goal drought when he combined with Di Santo before stroking the ball through Federici.
Pogrebnyak was sent off for a lunge on the Latics defender to compound a miserable afternoon for Reading, who drop into the bottom three in place of Wigan, who climb to 17th.
Joe Fish
