Reading boost survival hopes with win as Paul Ince takes interim charge

Paul Ince has made a shock return to the dugout after agreeing to take interim charge of Reading, the troubled Championship club his son, Tom, joined on loan last month.

Ince has not managed since being sacked by Blackpool in January 2014 but will take over from Veljko Paunovic, who took charge of Saturday’s 3-2 win at Preston – their first in 14 matches – while the club search for a new permanent manager. Reading are at risk of relegation to League One, five points and one place above Derby County, who have been administration since September.

Reading finished seventh last season but this campaign has been a different story, with Paunovic overseeing eight defeats after the turn of the year, including an embarrassing FA Cup third-round exit at Kidderminster.

Paunovic met Reading’s under-fire chief executive, Dayong Pang, on Friday following a 0-0 draw at fellow strugglers Peterborough in midweek, after which he declined to comment on questions about his future. Players expected Paunovic to be sacked before now but the arrival of the former Manchester United midfielder Ince will inevitably raise eyebrows.

In a statement on Saturday evening, Pang said: “The board and I will now work diligently to identify the right candidate to take this club forward. This work will be done quickly but without undue haste as we fully appreciate the importance of our decision to appoint a new manager at this crucial stage of the campaign.”

Lucas João struck twice in the opening 19 minutes, with John Swift adding a third early in the second half. Daniel Johnson pulled a goal back for the hosts, with Cameron Archer, on loan from Aston Villa, setting up a tense finale with 15 minutes to go, but the Royals held out.

Louie Sibley hit a