Steve Coppell's Reading side were in the ascendancy right from the kick-off, with Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen having one of those evenings when a combination of fine saves and a little bit of luck frustrated the visitors.
Jensen produced a brilliant double-save as early as the eighth minute when Jimmy Kebe headed the ball down to Kevin Doyle, whose volley was somehow kept out by Jensen, who then scrambled to his feet to turn the rebound from Noel Hunt behind for a corner.
Jensen was beaten after 16 minutes when Doyle turned two defenders on the edge of the box, but crashed his shot against the post.
Burnley rarely threatened in the opening half, but striker Martin Paterson was guilty of missing a couple of half-chances.
The pattern of the game continued in the second half with Reading firmly in control and Jensen pushing a free-kick from James Harper behind for a corner. Full-back Liam Rosenior got forward to join the attack, but struck his shot across the face of goal.
Just before the hour mark, Harper found the head of Noel Hunt, but Jensen managed to fingertip the ball on to the post. Three minutes later, a free-kick from Harper was deflected on to the top of the crossbar, with Jensen beaten.
Left-back Chris Armstrong then struck a shot which took a deflection, but somehow Jensen managed to push the ball behind.
Against the run of play, Blake struck with ten minutes remaining when he collected a short pass from Wade Elliott and drilled a low left-foot shot beyond Marcus Hahnemann.
With Reading pressing for the equaliser, Blake almost doubled the lead a minute from time, but struck his effort into the sidenetting.