Vadaine Oliver’s own-goal condemned promotion-hopefuls Stevenage to a 1-0 defeat against relegation-threatened Reading at The Lamex Stadium.

The hosts spent the opening 15 minutes camped in the visitors’ half but Dan Sweeney failed to capitalise, sending a close-range header over the crossbar.

Sweeney almost made amends with a delicious delivery into the box before Jamie Reid’s teasing effort went behind for a corner.

However, the Royals had the final say of the first half.

Amadou Mbengue launched a long throw into a dangerous area with seconds remaining and after a melee inside the six-yard box, Oliver fumbled the ball into the back of his own net.

Reid could have equalised after being found at the far post midway through the second half but he failed to convert from close range.

Sweeney kept his side in the game with a superb intervention 10 minutes later, blocking Sam Smith’s right-footed effort after the forward went around Boro stopper Craig MacGillivray.

The hosts won several corners in the final 10 minutes but failed to carve out a clear-cut chance as the Royals secured just their second league win on the road this season.

Steve Evans was delighted to see Stevenage’s best-laid plans pay handsome dividends after his in-form side claimed an “excellent” 3-0 win at Leyton Orient to go third in League One.

Boro have now won four of their six league matches this campaign and their latest success came thanks to first-half goals by debutant Charlie McNeill and Dan Sweeney and then a wonderful 25-yard strike by Nick Freeman.

Evans’ promoted team now are level on 13 points with leaders Exeter and second-placed Bolton following their convincing victory over last season’s League Two champions, and the Scot believes the scoreline could have been even greater.

“I thought the boys were excellent,” Evans said.

“We knew we were playing against an excellent team but we had a game plan which we worked for a couple of days and we knew we could effect it in certain areas. With a little bit more care and attention I think we could have won by more.

“We didn’t set up immediately which comes with new players but we have tremendous team spirit and we learned lots today about individuals and we continue to be humble. We win, lose and draw together.

“We’ve come to Leyton Orient and the atmosphere has been tremendous from both sets of supporters albeit I care more about ours than anything.

“They have travelled in big numbers and Orient fans always turn up and get behind Richie Wellens and the team here.

“I thought Charlie McNeill’s movement was fantastic. In fairness, the Leyton Orient defenders done well to find where he was after half an hour because he ran them ragged into all sorts of channels and he got his goal as a reward.”

O’s boss Wellens took responsibility for the reverse following his side’s fourth defeat in six league matches this season.

Orient must view Stevenage as a bogey side having failed to win any of the last six encounters against them.

“I will take the blame,” Wellens said.

“It’s very difficult when you have a performance like last week whether we needed to change the team and I contemplated all week, do we need to go big or do we need to maybe go three at the back?

“I thought first 15 minutes we were good and dominating the game and Ruel Sotiriou has to score in that period but pretty quickly after that we conceded from two set-plays. After that they managed the game well and made no mistakes.

“I should have changed the team from last week and put more experience out there. Our average age of the side was 22-years-old but it was against a team of men and physically we struggled.

“Set-plays and balls into our box is something we need to work on. When you have so many young players, it’s a learning curve. Full credit to them though they were outstanding.”