Brandon Williams scored a second-minute full-debut own goal but Cameron Humphreys equalised in injury time to leave the scoreline between the Blues and Reading 1-1 at half-time in their Carabao Cup second-round tie at the Madejski Stadium.
Recent loan signing Williams was handed his full Blues debut having come on as a sub at the weekend as boss Kieran McKenna made the expected 11 changes to the team which lost 4-3 at home to Leeds in the Championship on Saturday.
Cieran Slicker, named in the Scotland U21s squad earlier in the day, was in goal with Williams at left-back, Dom Ball on the right and George Edmundson and Elkan Baggott the central defenders.
Lee Evans skippered from central midfield alongside Jack Taylor with Omari Hutchinson on the right, Marcus Harness in the centre and Cameron Humphreys on the left of the three behind striker Freddie Ladapo.
Town named a strong bench featuring Vaclav Hladky, Sam Morsy, Harry Clarke, Wes Burns, Luke Woolfenden, Kayden Jackson, Conor Chaplin, Nathan Broadhead and former Royal Sone Aluko.
Reading, who won 4-0 away against Millwall in the previous round, made eight changes from the team which lost 2-1 at Exeter in League One on Saturday with only Matty Carson, Amadou Mbengue and Caylan Vickers keeping their places.
The Royals’ starting XI had an average age of only 20 years and seven months.
Despite their youth, the home side went in front within a minute and a half of the kick-off.
Basil Tuma flicked on a Carson cross from deep on the left towards the path of Vickers eight yards from goal. Keeper Slicker dived but his outstretched arm could only push the ball onto teammate Williams and it looped into the net behind the former Manchester City man.
To some degree it was a freakish own goal but equally Williams, Slicker and Baggott, who was marking Tuma, should all have done better.
Town, in their orange away kit, quickly looked to get back on terms, Evans striking a shot from just outside the box after a corner had been cleared to him which was too close to home keeper Coniah Boyce-Clarke.
The Blues, despite one or two more shaky moments, began to take charge and on 13 Ladapo worked himself space before hitting a shot which Boyce-Clarke batted away to his left. Hutchinson subsequently wafted the ball back over from the right but past the far post.
Town continued to push and in the 22nd minute, Evans’s attempted volley was punched away by Boyce-Clarke. Taylor’s overhead kick, which was flying well wide, reached Ladapo, who looked to flick towards goal but only succeeded in catching Mbengue with a boot, causing the Reading defender to require treatment and eventually a new numberless shirt.
The Blues were seeing most of the ball but just after the half hour, Reading broke quickly - although Evans had appeared to been fouled early in the build-up, far from the first time referee Lewis Smith had surprisingly ruled against Town - and Williams did well to slide in ahead of Tivonge Rushesha to stab Vickers’s pass back to Slicker.
Within a minute, Town went close. Harness stood up a cross from the right and the ball scuffed off Ladapo’s head, taking it away from Williams at the far post.
On 37, a headed clearance dropped to Taylor 20 yards out and the former Peterborough man’s volley looped not too far wide of Boyce-Clarke’s right post.
Two minutes later, Evans was shown the first yellow card of the match for a foul on Tuma as the Royals looked to break following a Town attack. Seconds later, Humphreys joined him for a mistimed challenge on
In the 43rd minute, Hutchinson picked up possession on the right after a poor touch and played into the area to Humphreys, who probably should have had a shot but instead failed to find Ladapo with a pass.
In the final scheduled minute ahead of six added on, Hutchinson unleashed a powerful strike from just outside the box which pole-axed Carson, who after treatment was able to continue.
Reading had a spell of possession and Slicker was required to punch clear a cross, which he did, before the Blues levelled in the fifth minute of injury time.
Hutchinson skipped away from his man on the right before his cross struck first defender, looped to the far post where Humphreys chested over the line to claim his first goal of the season.
There was just time for Vickers to break into the left of the Town box and hit a shot but Edmundson stood firm and blocked.
While never at their most fluent, with the ball given away cheaply far too often, the Blues deserved to be on terms at the break having been in control for most of the half and having been the only side to manage shots on target.
The own goal was an unfortunate way to start his full debut for Williams, but the on-loan Manchester United youngster had grown in confidence as the half wore on, getting into good positions when going forward and making some important tackles.
From this position, Town ought to go on to win the game, particularly if they dip into the strength on the bench.
Reading: Boyce-Clarke, Abrefa, Carson, Mbengue, McIntyre (c), Craig, Senga, Elliott, Rushesha, Vickers, Tuma. Subs: Button, Yiadom, Dean, Dorsett, Savage, Knibbs, Azeez, Ehibhatiomhan, Harris.
Town: Slicker, Edmundson, Evans (c), Ladapo, Harness, Ball, Taylor, Williams, Hutchinson, Baggott, Humphreys. Subs: Clarke, Morsy, Woolfenden, Burns, Chaplin, Jackson, Aluko, Hladky, Broadhead. Referee: Lewis Smith (Wigan).