Reading midfielder Jake Taylor’s first-half goal was enough to see his side to a 1-0 victory over the Blues at the Madejski Stadium. Taylor seized on a David McGoldrick error in the 26th minute, with Tyrone Mings going closest for Town when he hit the bar with a header in injury time.
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.
Smith 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 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.
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.
Daryl Murphy 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.
Manager Mick McCarthy switched Hewitt for Paul Anderson on the right of midfield ahead of the start of the second period.
And it was sub Anderson who created the second half’s first serious chance in the 54th minute when he brought the ball forward from deep inside his own half before crossing from the left towards McGoldrick at the far post, but a defender got in front of him to nod behind.
Town continued to press and two minutes later McGoldrick played Tabb into a good position on the left but Reading managed to clear the danger.
Tyrone Mings and Reading’s Cox were both booked in the 59th minute after the Blues left-back reacted angrily and shoved over the striker after he had appeared to kick a grounded Hyam after fouling him.
Town should have got back on terms from the resultant freekick. Smith nodded Tabb’s ball down to Murphy, who stabbed wide as Federici advanced. The striker clearly felt he should have done better.
Within a minute the Blues had another good opportunity when McGoldrick was sent through by Anderson but Michael Hector got back to divert his shot at goal wide.
McGoldrick made way after 69 minutes with Conor Sammon, who joined on loan from Derby yesterday, taking over and making his Town debut.
The Blues hadn’t really added to their chances in the period up to the hour mark with Reading starting to look more of a danger, although without troubling Gerken, one deep freekick missed by the keeper aside. On 73 Smith was booked for a foul on Pogrebnyak.
With nine minutes left Sammon skipped away from Hector 10 yards outside the area but was blocked by the Reading man, who joined the increasingly lengthy list of names in referee Hooper’s book. Skuse lashed the freekick into the Royals’ wall. Bajner replaced Tabb for the final seven minutes.
Town came close in the 87th minute when Bajner appeared to get a flick on to a long throw from the left, Federici making a desperate dive to claim the ball. Moments later, Reading scorer Taylor was replaced by debutant Jack Stacey.
In the first minute of injury time the Blues came within inches of levelling. Anderson sent over a corner from the right and Mings crashed a header against the bar with Shaun Cummings having got in a vital touch. The loose ball fell to Smith, but the defender smashed his shot into the Town supporters behind the goal.
Reading threatened to score a second moments before the final whistle, Pogrebnyak breaking quickly with Town camped in the Royals’ half, but Smith got back to dispossess him.
The Blues probably deserved something from the game having had a decent spell in the first half and then several opportunities to get back on terms after the break against a not overly impressive Reading side.
Murphy and McGoldrick will feel they should have done better with their chances, as will Smith in injury time, while Mings was unfortunate not to claim his first senior goal with his header.
Reading: Federici, Gunter (C), Cummings, Hector, Pearce, Obita, Akpan, Taylor (Stacey 90), Cox (Edwards 67), Blackman (Cooper 81), Pogrebnyak. Unused: McCarthy, Kuhl, Tshibola, Tanner.
Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Berra, Smith, Skuse, Hyam, Hewitt (Anderson 46), Tabb (Bajner 83), McGoldrick (Sammon 69), Murphy. Unused: Parr, Bru, Wordsworth, Bialkowski. Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire). Att: 17,198 (Town: 1,581).