West Ham United wiped away the bad memories of their last visit to Reading by leaving the Madejski Stadium with a well-deserved 3-0 win.
The Hammers had been thrashed 6-0 there on New Year's Day last term but never looked back after Craig Bellamy had given them an early lead.
Matthew Etherington added two more in the second half but Reading had known it was not to be their day when Kevin Doyle's penalty was saved.
It had taken the home fans just a few minutes to start the inevitable '6-0 chants but within seconds Bellamy had netted his third goal in claret and blue, adding to his midweek Carling Cup double at Bristol Rovers with aplomb.
Reading's undoing was of their own initial making however as James Harper was carelessly dispossessed in midfield by Lee Bowyer and Ivar Ingimarsson was never going to catch the Welshman.
There was work still to be done for the £7.5million summer signing from Liverpool but his low, angled drive from the right of the box was perfectly placed to elude the outstretched arm of goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann.
The Hammers had at last been able to give Dean Ashton his first start since the 2006 FA Cup final, with the birth of his first child having prevented that earlier in the week.
The striker, who had missed all of last season's traumas through a shattered ankle, fired a shot at Hahnemann after having won a corner seconds earlier and the Hammers continued to look dangerous on the break.
Mark Noble crashed a drive just wide from the edge of the box and there was a let-off for Hahnemann when he fumbled a cross into Etherington's path only for the winger to stab it harmlessly wide.
Reading were relentless in their pursuit of an equaliser however and striker Leroy Lita was incensed when referee Howard Webb allowed play to continue after Anton Ferdinand had appeared to barge him over on the edge of the box.
Brynjar Gunnarsson saw a shot blocked and Duberry headed just wide before Doyle set up Stephen Hunt in the 43rd minute for an effort that had the beating of Hammers goalkeeper Robert Green but bounced off the top of the crossbar.
It took West Ham just four second half minutes to double their lead through Etherington.
The winger played a clever one-two with Bellamy after Hayden Mullins ball across the Reading box had not been intercepted and he was able to beat Hahnemann with a rising drive from an angle on the left.
Duberry headed a Hunt corner over from six yards as the West Ham fans taunted Nicky Shorey with chants of 'You should have joined West Ham', a reference to the Hammers' failed £4million bid in the run-up to the game
Anton Ferdinand, who had put through his own goal in the 1 January debacle, was having a game to remember however, dispossessing Lita in the box after Green had been booked in the 55th minute for time-wasting as he delayed his goal-kick while Ashton tied his laces.
Reading swapped midfielder Emerse Fae for striker Dave Kitson just after the hour mark and within seconds Bowyer missed a great chance to put his side three up minute after Bellamy, seizing on an Ashton header, had put him through. The former Newcastle United man rolled his shot past Hahnemann but also beyond the far post.
Ashton was replaced in the 65th minute by Carlton Cole before Hahnemann's brave dive at Etherington's feet prevented the Hammers from claiming the points there and then.
Reading swapped Gunnarsson for Kalifa Cisse in midfield before Lita stabbed a good chance wide after Kitson's cross had reached him on the penalty spot.
Reading passed up an opportunity to get back in the match when goalkeeper Green saved a penalty he had conceded himself. The England man upended Kitson but stayed on the pitch to guess correctly and block Doyle's spot-kick with a dive to his left.
Hahnemann kept the score down with a save to deny Cole, who had earlier fired just wide on the turn.
Duberry did well to stop Etherington before Hunt and Bellamy clashed near a corner flag, with the Irishman seemingly throwing a punch at the Welshman. Referee Webb had not seen it too clearly but was quick to intervene and restore calm.
Cisse saw an injury-time effort blocked as Reading were destined to be denied even a consolation. There was still a goal in the game and Etherington claimed it with a solo run after Reading had been caught with too many men upfield in injury-time.
