Reading completed the double over Oldham to stretch their unbeaten run to six games.
Alan Pardew's side took the lead after just three minutes when Martin Butler combined with Jamie Cureton to fire in his 16th goal of the season.
Cureton himself then netted the second in first-half stoppage time to kill the game as a contest.
Oldham could not get a foothold in the game as the Royals held on for the win.
With Stoke losing and Rotherham winning, it means that the Royals go up to 5th. Also, with Bristol City losing it puts some daylight between us and them.
