Birmingham City player ratings vs Reading: Wasteful Blues pay the penalty

Birmingham City fell foul to the new manager bounce as Paul Ince started his Reading tenure with a 2-1 victory.

Two goals in six second half minutes from Lucas Joao and a John Swift penalty punished Blues for not making the most of the possession and promising positions they produced throughout the game.

Indeed an own goal from Tom McIntyre was all Blues had to show for dominating the ball and having twice as many shots on target as the home side.

Without a recognised central defender Lee Bowyer was once again forced to name the same team - and makeshift defence, which drew 2-2 at Stoke.

After an uneventful first quarter Blues began to exert control and should really have gone in better than 0-0 at half time.

Midway through the period Juninho Bacuna swapped passes with Lyle Taylor but saw his shot from the D hit a defender and fizz wide of the post.

Taylor had two good openings in quick succession, first when Jordan James picked him out between the Reading centre halves but his attempt to find the bottom corner in trademark style was straight at Karl Hein.

Seconds later he miscontrolled a ball over the top from Jeremie Bela when a better touch would have had him bearing down on goal.

Soon after both Bela and Hernandez found their way to the byeline but their crosses flashed through the Royals’ area without finding a team-mate.

Reading had a couple of opportunities, first when Swift’s free kick sailed narrowly over - and then when Tom Ince appeared on the end of a Junior Hoilett cross but skied way over.

Blues made a positive start to the second period too, with Bela finding James in the box but his shot was straight at Hein. Then Taylor turned his defender and fired across goal from an acute angle.

Inevitably the