Nicky Forster powered Reading closer to a play-off place with a dazzling hat-trick to sink hapless Preston.
The Royals top scorer took his tally to 16 for the season to see off a Preston side reduced to nine men following red cards for Michael Jackson and David Lucas.
Central defender Jackson's first-half dismissal turned the game Reading's way after almost half an hour of tedious football.
Having talked his way into a second minute booking for dissent, he gave referee Paul Taylor little option but to reach for his red card when he fouled Forster on 28 minutes.
Two minutes later, the home side were in front.
Luke Chadwick skipped past Erik Skora on the right wing and centred low for Andrew Hughes to tee up Glen Little.
The on-loan midfielder's shot was brilliantly parried by Lucas, but Forster was quickest to react and lash the loose ball home.
Forster's second three minutes before half time again exposed Preston's patched up defence as John Salako chested down a Chadwick pass for Forster to run along the 18-yard line and drill a low shot beyond the flat-footed Lucas.
Preston, with only two defeats in their previous nine games had little response, though Skora did see a shot fizz wide on the stroke of half time.
Skora again went close when his deflected shot looped just wide early in the second half, but the game was as good over ten minutes after the restart.
Graham Alexander's slip on the edge of his own penalty area allowed Little to nip in between defender and keeper and his route to an open goal was ended by the outstretched arm of Lucas.
The keeper saw red and his replacement Jonathan Gould arrived just in time to pick Nicky Shorey's penalty out of the net.
Three minutes later Forster rubbed salt in Preston wounds with a remarkable fourth, sprinting clear of two defenders to head down Graeme Murty's long pass and smash a shot beyond Gould.
Preston faced a damage limitation exercise in the final 30 minutes and remarkably enjoyed their best spell.
Defender Tyrone Mears pulled a goal back with a fizzing 30-yard shot that deceived Marcus Hahnemann, but their respite was short-lived as Reading wrapped up the win with a last-minute header from sub Darius Henderson.