Town fell to their first away defeat of the season as Reading sub Simon Church netted in the 86th minute with his first touch to give his side a 1-0 victory in a game which ended 10 v 10. The Blues ought to have been in front by half-time with Jason Scotland missing when through on goal. Luke Hyam and Reading’s Matt Mills saw red for two bookable offences in the second half.

Town boss Roy Keane kept his promise to make changes with Tommy Smith, Tom Eastman and Connor Wickham dropping out. Darren O’Dea switched to the left side of central defence alongside Gareth McAuley with Jaime Peters coming into the side at left-back and Troy Brown coming in for his first league start at right-back.

Luke Hyam returned in the holding role behind Grant Leadbitter and skipper David Norris with Carlos Edwards on the right and Andros Townsend on the left and Jason Scotland in the central striking role.

The first shot in anger came from the Blues — who were wearing black - inside the first minute. Carlos Edwards found Andros Townsend on the edge of the area but the Spurs loanee’s shot was too high.

Town began the game the brighter of the two teams with chances were pretty much non-existent at either end but in the 19th minute Jobi McAnuff sent in a dangerous cross from the left which Márton Fülöp palmed away from Jimmy Kebe and Shane Long. At the other end, Jason Scotland looped a header wide after Gareth McAuley had nodded the ball back across the box from a freekick.

Town should have gone in front in the 24th minute when Royals central defender Matt Mills completely misjudged a long kick from Fülöp, allowing Scotland to out-muscle him and claim the ball. The Trinidadian took the ball past the Reading skipper and was through one on one with Adam Federici but somehow squeezed his low strike wide of the Australian keeper’s right-hand post.

On 28 Long found Kebe on the edge of the Town area but the Malian shot wide. Moments later, Peters did well to get in ahead of Kebe at the far post as a cross came in from the left, Jem Karacan heading the loose ball over.

Luke Hyam picked up the game’s first yellow card in the 34th minute for a foul on Shane Long. It was by no means the game’s first reckless challenge with Grant Leadbitter having been caught late by Chris Armstrong earlier on, the Reading man also clipping the Town midfielder in the head with a boot in the aftermath.

There was a scare for the Blues in the 37th minute when Fülöp punched a Kebe cross into the air under pressure from Long but McAnuff’s first touch let him down and the Blues keeper dived on the ball.

Leadbitter shot wide from the edge in the 38th minute after he had sent Townsend away down the left, then Mills was booked for a foul on the Tottenham loan player has he looked to receive a return pass from Scotland. The freekick was laid back to Edwards but his shot hit the on-rushing Karacan.

Just before the break, Edwards crossed from the right and Scotland just failed to get his head to the ball.

Town had just about shaded a tight half with Scotland’s one on one the game’s best chance. The former Wigan man will have been unhappy not to have taken the opportunity having done well to muscle past Mills in the first place. The miss means the Blues are still without a first half goal in the league since Newcastle away in last season’s penultimate match.

At the back, the Blues hadn’t been overly troubled with the only significant scare Fülöp’s loose punch but McAnuff failed to make the most of the opportunity.

Townsend struck the second half’s first shot from 25 yards, Federici uncomfortably bundling the ball behind. The Blues won a couple of subsequent corners and from the last Townsend hit a low shot which was too close to the Reading keeper.

The Blues were reduced to 10 men in the 52nd minute when Hyam was shown his second yellow card of the game by referee Phil Crossley for kicking the ball away after a foul by Edwards on Hal Robson-Kanu. It was an impetuous act by the 18-year-old who looked thoroughly annoyed with himself as he left the field.

Mills headed straight at Fülöp from a freekick on the right in the 55th minute with the Royals looking to make their one man advantage tell. A minute later, boss Roy Keane swapped Jason Scotland and Carlos Edwards for Connor Wickham and Reggie Lambe.

Gareth McAuley headed a Leadbitter freekick straight at Federici in the 58th minute before the sides were evened up. Matt Mills, who was sent off in the match between the sides at Portman Road last season, blocked Townsend as he sought to complete a one-two with Wickham and was shown a second yellow card, the first having come for a similar offence in the first period. Referee Crossley appeared to have little choice in the wake of the earlier card.

The Blues looked the stronger side after the second sending off but were unable to create a clear-cut chance, Wickham bulldozing into the area in the 62nd minute before losing possession.

Fülöp saved well from Karacan in the 71st minute after a good run from sub Michail Antonio, who had just come on for Jimmy Kebe, who had been kept in check by Jaime Peters as in the Portman Road match last season. As Town broke from the corner, Townsend was fouled late by Shaun Cummings, who was booked.

In the 75th minute Fülöp went down low to his left to save from McAnuff with the 10 v 10 game becoming increasingly stretched. Soon after, Jake Livermore was handed his Town debut, replacing his fellow Spurs man Andros Townsend.

Livermore was quickly into the action, hitting a 82nd minute strike across the face of goal from Lambe’s lay-back after great work down the right from the Bermudian. A minute later, Leadbitter failed to significantly test Federico with a 35 yarder.

Town skipper David Norris picked up his fifth booking of the season with seven minutes remaining for a foul. The midfielder, like Hyam, will miss Saturday’s home game against Leeds.

With four minutes left Simon Church, who had come on only seconds beforehand, put his side in front with his first touch. The Welshman, who was being played onside by Reggie Lambe, diverted home Karacan’s edge of the box shot from six yards after a corner from the right had been half-cleared. Town were a touch unlucky to be behind on the balance of what had been a scrappy half.

The Blues went looking for an equaliser, throwing men forward with Gareth McAuley employed as a makeshift second striker for the last few minutes.

In injury time, Márton Fülöp came up for late corner and appeared to get his head to it, the loose ball falling for Troy Brown but the defender was only able to turn it into Federici’s arms.

The final whistle went soon after to confirm Town’s first away defeat of the season. A draw would have been a fairer reflection of the game, although the second half had been a largely scruffy affair, interrupted by the red cards and a series of Reading injuries.

Simon Church’s winning goal was a touch fortunate as it appeared to hit him more than anything, much like his goal in the corresponding fixture last season.

The Blues were left ruing Jason Scotland’s first half chance, their one clear-cut opportunity during the entire 90 minutes.

In addition to the defeat, Town have the additional headache of being without Luke Hyam and David Norris when Leeds visit Portman Road on Saturday. Jake Livermore, who was lively during his time on the field looks likely to make his first start for his loan club.

Town: Fülöp, Brown, Peters, McAuley, O’Dea, Hyam, Leadbitter, Norris, Edwards (Lambe 56), Townsend (Livermore 80), Scotland (Wickham 56). Unused: Murphy, Priskin, Kennedy, Smith. Att: 15,763 (Town: 1,543).

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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