Alex Pearce’s second-half goal condemned the Blues to a 1-0 defeat at Reading. The loss was harsh on Town who were the better side in the first half of a tight game during which Jay Emmanuel-Thomas hit the bar from distance.
As expected, skipper Grant Leadbitter and Emmanuel-Thomas returned to the Town starting line-up in place of Keith Andrews and Jason Scotland, who were missing with hamstring problems. Leadbitter joined Lee Bowyer in the centre of midfield and Emmanuel-Thomas began the game alongside Michael Chopra.
The game started scruffily with Damien Delaney’s slicing behind of Shaun Cummings’s eighth minute cross the first significant goalmouth action. After former Royal Ibrahima Sonko had headed over in front of Adam Le Fondre, Kaspars Gorkss nodded Reading skipper Jobi McAnuff’s corner straight at Arran Lee-Barrett.
On 12, the Blues threatened for the first time, Michael Chopra flicking Delaney’s knockdown from Lee Martin’s corner into Reading keeper Adam Federici’s arms.
Town went closer still in the 16th minute when Leadbitter superbly won the ball from Jem Karacan in the centre circle and fed Emmanuel-Thomas, who took it on a few places before unleashing a trademark rocket which scuffed the top of the bar on its way into the home fans.
The Blues were starting to get on top and were keeping hold of the ball much better than in recent games. Chopra shot just wide moments after Emmanuel-Thomas’s effort, then Aaron Cresswell went even closer from 30 yards, the ball flying just past Federici’s left post.
Martin, who had begun the game on the right, and Daryl Murphy temporarily switched flanks, presumably to put the on-loan Celtic man’s height up against the smaller Andy Griffin.
Cresswell sent a 25-yard freekick over in the 24th minute after Gorkss had fouled Martin with the Blues still on top but not yet able to make their superiority tell. At the other end, Lee-Barrett came well out of his goal to the Town right to put Reading McAnuff’s long pass for Le Fondre to chase out of play.
There was danger for the Blues on 28 when Jimmy Kebe cut the ball back from the right into the danger area but neither Simon Church or Le Fondre could make anything of it. Soon after, Le Fondre just failed to get a touch to Karacan’s cross from the right with the Royals briefly providing the greater threat.
Chances were rarer in a spell immediately after the half hour. Martin was thwarted by Griffin as he sought to get in a shot after superbly taking down a Murphy cross from the left, then seconds later the ex-Manchester United man saw a header blocked after the Irishman had nodded back a Carlos Edwards ball in from the right.
Emmanuel-Thomas again went close on 41 when a Murphy cross from the left deflected up in the air and into the area 10 yards from goal. Chopra did well to gain control with his back to the posts and play the ball to the former Arsenal youngster, who struck a shot straight at Federici when at a stretch. A foot or so either side of the Royals keeper and Town would have been in front.
Delaney made a rare foray forward as the half reached its end, the Irish defender unleashing a strike which wasn’t too far wide of Federici’s goal but without overly concerning the Australian keeper.
Referee Jock Waugh brought the half to a close soon after with the Blues having edged it on points. Town, playing better football than in recent weeks, had controlled much of the game and had created the best chances, Emmanuel-Thomas’s late effort at Federici probably the nearest either team had come to a goal.
The home side had had their moments but Blues keeper Lee-Barrett hadn’t been forced into anything particularly heroic.
Sonko became the first player to pick up a booking four minutes into the second period for a tackle on Le Fondre just inside the Town half. The Blues defender, back at his old ground, seemed unlucky as he appeared to have won the ball.
The yellow card is the 30-year-old Senegalese international’s fifth of the season meaning he will miss Monday’s home game with Nottingham Forest. Kebe struck a shot against Cresswell after the resultant freekick had been semi-cleared to the edge of the box.
On 52 a deft Emmanuel-Thomas flick almost played in Martin but Gorkss got across to toe the ball out for a corner.
Michael Chopra shot just wide of Federici’s right post as the game reached the hour mark after Emmanuel-Thomas had brought the ball to the edge of the area with a weaving run. It was a decent chance, although an earlier pass to Murphy breaking on the left might have put the Irishman through on goal.
But it was Reading who would take the lead four minutes later. The home fans’ almost constant appeals for handball finally met with success when Bowyer was struck on the arm five yards outside the penalty area on the Royals right. McAnuff sent the ball into the box and Alex Pearce headed down and past Lee-Barrett.
The goal — yet another from a set piece as Paul Jewell won’t need to be reminded - was harsh on the Blues who didn’t deserve to be behind on the balance of the game. On 65 Chopra diverted an Emmanuel-Thomas long throw wide.
Josh Carson and Nathan Ellington replaced Lee Martin and Michael Chopra in the 72nd minute, then Lee-Barrett was forced into a desperate dive on a loose ball in his six-yard box after blocking from Church, who had tried to steer sub Noel Hunt’s cross from the right goalwards.
Carson cut in and shot into the sidenetting for the Blues on 75, much to the annoyance of Bowyer, who was in space.
Lee-Barrett was closed down by Church in the 80th minute, the Blues keeper fortunate to see the rebound land at Edwards’s feet.
Town were still having a fair bit of the ball in what was an end-to-end game but without threatening significantly, with too many crosses flying behind Federici’s goal. The Royals had gained greater self-belief going forward after going front and were looking the more dangerous side.
Jimmy Bullard replaced Leadbitter, who had been one of Town’s better players, as the game moved into its final five minutes.
Ellington almost turned a loose ball past Federici as the game moved into injury time but the keeper was equal to it and Town were unable to create any more chances before the referee blew his final whistle.
A draw would probably have been a fairer result with the Royals probably shading the second half as Town had just about had the better of the first.
Both sides had chances, the Blues significantly the larger number, although several were from distance, and Town were again left to rue their frailties at set pieces. Sonko’s absence against Forest is unlikely to improve that situation.
Despite the result, Paul Jewell will probably be pleased with the overall performance which at times was better than in some of the recent games from which his side have taken points.
Town (4-4-2): Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Sonko, Delaney, Cresswell, Martin (Carson 72), Leadbitter (c) (Bullard 80), Bowyer, Murphy, Emmanuel-Thomas, Chopra (Ellington 72). Unused: Wright, Wabara.
Reading (4-4-2): Federici, Cummings, Griffin, Gorkss, Pearce, Karacan (Tabb 90), Leigertwood, Kebe (Robson-Kanu 80), McAnuff (c), Church, Le Fondre (Hunt 62). Unused: Andersen, Harte. Referee Jack Waugh (South Yorkshire). Att: 18,737 (Town: 1,526).