Town find themselves 1-0 behind to Reading at half-time at the Madejski Stadium, Jake Taylor having netted in the 26th minute following a David McGoldrick error.
Striker McGoldrick returned to the Town starting line-up for the first time in six months in place of Balint Bajner, but manager Mick McCarthy otherwise named the same team which beat Fulham last week.
Reading created the game’s first opening within seconds of the start when Simon Cox, a recent signing from Nottingham Forest, got the better of Tommy Smith inside the area on the right, but Dean Gerken blocked his shot from a tight angle.
After the early scare Town, wearing their new orange away kit, started to get on top and went close in the eighth minute from a Jay Tabb corner on the left.
Daryl Murphy failed to make proper contact but his header diverted the ball to Christophe Berra at the far post, the Scot nodding it back across towards McGoldrick. The ball was stabbed out to Luke Chambers on the edge of the six-yard box and somehow Reading bundled his shot over the bar as McGoldrick attempted an overhead kick to help it on its way.
Murphy shot wide soon after but as the game moved towards the 20-minute mark the home side began to have more of the ball in Town’s half, albeit without creating an opportunity.
But on 25 Royals midfielder Jake Taylor saw a shot deflect wide after a strong run from Pavel Pogrebnyak and good work in the area from Cox.
And from the resultant corner, the home side went in front. The ball was initially cleared but was subsequently returned to the far post from the right. McGoldrick nodded back towards Gerken but without enough power and Taylor nipped in to flick the ball past the keeper and into the net for his first Reading goal.
McGoldrick went close to atoning for his error in the 33rd minute when he did well to find himself space and cross towards Tabb, but Chris Gunter intercepted.
Berra got his name in referee Simon Hooper’s book for a foul on Jordan Obita not far outside the area in the 40th minute, the Reading man having been looking to feed Taylor to his left. Pogrebnyak slammed the resultant freekick into the Town wall.
Smith nodded a Tabb freekick straight at Reading keeper Adam Federici in the penultimate scheduled minute of the half and neither side threatened during two minutes of additional time.
The half-time scoreline was perhaps a little harsh on the Blues, who had been on top for a long period and ought to have gone in front in the scramble following Tabb’s corner, while the home side hadn't looked particularly dangerous.
Reading’s goal was a very preventable one from Town’s perspective with McGoldrick’s safest option to nod the ball behind rather than back towards his keeper.
Nevertheless, Taylor read his intentions and made the most of his opportunity. Having gone behind, the Blues rarely threatened to get back on terms in the remaining minutes of the half.
Reading: Federici, Gunter (C), Cummings, Hector, Pearce, Obita, Akpan, Taylor, Cox, Blackman, Pogrebnyak. Subs: McCarthy, Cooper, Kuhl, Tshibola, Edwards, Stacey, Tanner.
Town:Gerken, Chambers (c), Berra, Smith, Skuse, Hyam, Hewitt, Tabb, McGoldrick, Murphy. Subs: Parr, Anderson, Bajner, Bru, Wordsworth, Sammon, Bialkowski. Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).