LEROY LITA left Reading dreaming of Europe with a second-half double to beat Manchester City at Eastlands.

Having agreed to take charge of England's under21 side earlier this week, it will be little consolation to City boss Stuart Pearce that one of the men he has called on for Tuesday's encounter with Spain inflicted the damage that sent Reading above Portsmouth into the top six and with a UEFA Cup spot well within their grasp.

Lita, who has now scored nine times in as many games, should actually have had a hat-trick but saw a closerange first-half effort ruled out for offside.

Although City carved out numerous chances of their own, their chronic lack of firepower once again let them down - with Stephen Ireland among the culprits - and given the transfer window is now closed, it is a good job that the failings of others will probably prevent them being sucked into a relegation scrap.

Those misses proved to be costly as, after a dismal first half, emulated by most of the second, Lita eventually found the target 12 minutes from time, set up by Sidwell's superb defence-splitting pass.

Lita was not finished either, for when John Oster provided the same kind of pass, he converted his 13th of the campaign.