Tottenham ease to Reading win

(CNN) -- Andre Villas-Boas recorded his first win as Tottenham Hotspur manager on Sunday as a Jermain Defoe brace helped the north London club secure a 3-1 victory at Reading.

Former Chelsea coach Villas-Boas, appointed as Harry Redknapp's successor at White Hart Lane in July, had seen Spurs draw two and lose one of their opening three English Premier League matches.

The victory was Villas-Boas' first in the English top flight since his Chelsea team beat Bolton Wanderers 3-0 in February.

Defeat left Brian McDermott's Reading 19th in the table with one point from three games.

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Spurs dominated the early stages of the match, although Reading were denied a penalty atfter 10 minutes when England full-back Kyle Walker appeared to handle Alex Pearce's back-post header.

Shortly after referee Howard Webb had turned down the home team's claims for a spot kick, Spurs took the lead.

Former Reading midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson played a sublime pass through for winger Aaron Lennon, who cut the ball back for Defoe to find the bottom corner of the net from just inside the penalty area.

Reading made a spirited start to the second half, but were once again undone by a cutback from the byline after 70 minutes.

Walker made an enterprising run down the right before teeing up Welsh winger Gareth Bale, whose scuffed shot bounced over Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

Three minutes later Spurs found the net again, this time Defoe surged at the heart of the Reading defence before launching an unstoppable drive across goal and into the bottom corner.

Reading did find the net in the final minute through substitute Hal Robson-Kanu, but it was too late to deny Spurs a deserved three points.