Last updated on .From the section Championship

Jude Bellingham celebrates after his shot deflected off Michael Morrison for Birmingham's opening goal at the Madejski Stadium

Jeremie Bela netted his first goal in English football and set up another as Birmingham triumphed at the Madejski Stadium.

The French forward, who joined the Blues last month, rifled in a 25-yard free-kick to help his side clinch the points against Reading.

Birmingham went in front when Jude Bellingham's drive deflected off former Blues skipper Michael Morrison, only for Yakou Meite to head Reading level.

But Bela's strike restored the visitors' advantage and he then teed up Alvaro Gimenez to make it 3-1 before Lucas Joao grabbed a late consolation.

Reading had the better opportunities in a tightly-contested first half, with Matt Miazga heading wide and Meite miscuing after Garath McCleary had set him up.

However, Blues went ahead with a goal from nowhere in the 41st minute, Bellingham's effort taking a wicked deflection off Morrison to leave Rafael Cabral helpless.

The lead lasted only four minutes as Pele delivered a corner for Meite to make amends for that earlier miss with his fifth goal of the campaign.

In an end-to-end second half, Birmingham's Jacques Maghoma hit the bar before Bela put his side 2-1 up, crashing a free-kick into the top corner of the net.

Reading pressed hard for a second equaliser and George Puscas and Joao both squandered chances to square the contest again.

But Gimenez earned the Blues some breathing space in the 88th minute, finding the net with a left-foot finish before Joao stabbed home Reading's second deep into added time.

Reading manager Mark Bowen:

"We were poor. It's easy to say that we're missing our 'ball players' in John Swift and Ovie Ejaria and that was a big loss to us.

"But the players stepping in have got to be better in terms of passing, retaining possession and being braver on the ball. They were lacking today.

"I pride myself on my team picking up second balls but I thought we were so poor at that. We were sloppy getting into the game and then in possession.

"I said to the players in the dressing-room 'I've got no problem if you give the ball away'. But you then have to go and get it again and be brave."

Birmingham head coach Pep Clotet told BBC WM 95.6:

"It was a huge step forward to where we want to be. The whole team believe in what we're doing, we keep playing our football, we keep going and in the end we get a fantastic result.

"Jeremie has this kick, we've been working a lot with him, preparing a lot of free-kicks - direct and indirect - and it's good that it paid off. From that distance, it was perfect because it's very difficult for the goalkeeper.

"Josh (McEachran) helped us massively on those build-ups because, if you compare it to our game against Millwall, we struggled a little bit to get the ball from the back to the midfield and forwards. Josh had that role today and accomplished it very well.

"Everyone in this team is contributing and, when the moment comes, they're ready. when we score one goal, we want the second one and when we have the second, we want to go for the third."