JAKE Taylor scored an 85th-minute winner to send Reading through to the third round of the Capital One Cup at the expense of Scunthorpe.

The League One outfit dominated last night's game for long periods, with Royals goalkeeper Adam Federici making several good saves. The Australian made a fine stop to keep out Neal Bishop’s free-kick, while Paddy Madden and Gary McSheffrey also went close.

Taylor broke Scunthorpe hearts with five minutes to go, forcing the ball home from close range after the hosts had failed to deal with a corner.

It was an emotional evening for Reading manager Nigel Adkins, who began his managerial career at Scunthorpe.

“This is a special place for me,” he said. “I spent 14 happy years here and I really appreciate the reception I got from the fans.

“I knew this would be a difficult game for us and credit to Scunthorpe for making it so hard, but we are in the next round of the cup and that is the most important thing.”

Reading, who have only taken four points from their first four Championship games, return to league action on Saturday, making the long trip to Middlesbrough (kick-off 3pm).