Premier League: Reading 1 Tottenham 3

Jermain Defoe scored a double as Tottenham gave new manager Andre Villas-Boas a first win in charge with a 3-1 victory at Reading.

A well-worked move on the right flank saw Aaron Lennon’s pull-back clinically converted by Defoe from 10 yards, before Gareth Bale extended the lead in the second half after being set up by Kyle Walker.

Defoe doubled his tally to make it 3-0 before Reading nabbed a 90th-minute consolation through Hal Robson-Kanu.

Tottenham were on the front foot from the outset at Madejski Stadium and Jan Vertonghen stung the palms of Alex McCarthy early on.

The visitors played with authority and although Bale missed the target with a deft flick from a Vertonghen long-ball, Defoe made no mistake when he caught his first clear sight of goal.

Gylfi Sigurdsson threaded a well-weighted pass in between Kaspars Gorkss and Ian Harte for Lennon to scamper on to, and the winger’s cutback was met with a well-placed Defoe shot that gave Spurs the lead.

Defoe’s sublime first touch from Kyle Naughton’s long ball almost saw him create a second, but his shot was toe-poked wide.

The diminutive striker kept hassling the Reading defence and almost set up Sigurdsson for a second goal, but Alex Pearce made a heroic goal-line block from the Icelander.

Aside from a late Jobi McAnuff 20-yard effort, Reading had very little to show for a first half in the way of opportunities on goal.

They opted for a more direct approach after the interval but the impressive Vertonghen remained diligent at the back alongside William Gallas.

With Reading pushing forward the visitors were presented with opportunities on the counter, with a Mousa Dembele cross-shot deflecting off Defoe and over the crossbar.

Walker was the architect of the second goal, taking advantage of some loose defending to skip down the right and drag the ball back to Bale, whose mistimed shot sailed into goal.

Defoe started and finished the play that sealed the three points, gliding past Pearce and slamming the ball across McCarthy for his second goal of the game.

Gallas cleared Adam Le Fondre and Reading’s first shot on target off the line with five minutes to play, but the substitute striker showed great invention in the final two minutes to clip a cross over Brad Friedel and provide the assist for the onrushing substitute Robson-Kanu.