Reading have registered a narrow 1-0 victory over West Ham United at home in the Premier League.

Pavel Pogrebnyak's goal in the fifth minute proved to be the difference between the two sides at the Madejski Stadium.

Here Sports Mole takes a closer look to see if the result was fair.

Match statistics:

Reading:
Shots 3
On target 2
Possession 34%
Corners 2
Fouls 18

West Ham United:
Shots 13
On target 3
Possession 66%
Corners 2
Fouls 10

Was the result fair?

Probably not - a draw would have been a fairer reflection of the game. Reading and West Ham United both were largely uninspiring in the first half, but the Hammers looked shaky at the back. However, in the second half the visitors controlled proceedings but it was the Royals who hit the crossbar. Overall it was an evenly-contested affair.

Reading's performance

Manager Brian McDermott will be pleased with his side's largely scrappy and desperate display, mainly because they won and kept a clean sheet. The Royals, though, were far from impressive and there is still work to do as they continue to linger in the relegation zone. However, this win will inject a healthy dose of confidence in the Reading players.

West Ham United's performance

Sam Allardyce will be furious with defender James Collins, who gifted the goal to Reading and later also earned a yellow card. The Hammers looked shaky at the back, but going forward created a number of chances in the second half. However, they failed to take them and Allardyce will not be pleased with that.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Alex Pearce: The Reading defender was a rock at the back as he kept out a number of crosses. Pearce kept Carlton Cole quiet in the game, denied chances to Matthew Jarvis and Ricardo Vaz Te and marshalled everyone well in defence.

Biggest gaffe of the match

Vaz Te's failure to score from a free header just yards from goal in the 83rd minute would have been the biggest gaffe of the game, had it not been for a howler from Collins. The West Ham defender's horrific attempt to pass the ball back to Jussi Jaaskelainen in the fifth minute sent Pogrebnyak through on goal to score what eventually proved to be the winner.

Referee's performance

Michael Oliver had the game under control and stood his ground in the second half when things started to heat up. He dished out a number of yellow cards, but none of them was harsh or uncalled for. Overall, he had a good game and should be lauded for the way he did not let things boil over.

What next?

Reading: The Royals travel to London on New Year's Day to take on top-four chasing Tottenham Hotspur.

West Ham United: The Hammers will hope to bounce back with a win against Norwich City at home in their next fixture.