Reading 2-1 Cardiff City: Royals come from behind to hand Bluebirds first defeat of the season

Cardiff City were sent back down to earth following their opening-day win over promotion favourites Norwich City as Reading came from a goal behind to beat them 2-1.

The game started perfectly for the Bluebirds, with Callum O'Dowda netting his first Bluebirds goal with a headed effort in the fourth minute.

But Shane Long, on his return to the club, levelled the score with a penalty midway through the first half to restore parity. In a cagey affair, though, you always thought the next goal would win it. And that came from the boot of Tom Ince midway through the second half when the Royals man belted home a half volley to seal the victory in style for the hosts.

On the team news front, well, there was one enforced change, with Curtis Nelson coming into the starting XI following Perry Ng's sending off against Norwich last weekend.

There were, however, more changes on the bench. Ollie Denham was preferred to Mark McGuinness as the defensive cover, while the club's two newest signings, Jaden Philogene and Kion Etete, were fancied ahead of Gavin Whyte and Ollie Tanner.

Things couldn't have started much better for Cardiff, really. Not five minutes were on the clock before they put themselves into the lead thanks to O'Dowda's first goal for the club.

It was O'Dowda who won the free-kick on the far side, near the corner flag, and Ryan Wintle, as ever, sent in a pinpoint cross for a Cardiff player to run on to. It was the Republic of Ireland international who ghosted in, rose highest and buried his header neatly into the bottom corner.

Just minutes later, O'Dowda could have been forgiven for thinking he had doubled his Bluebirds tally. A scintillating break, courtesy of Sheyi Ojo's brilliant run through the middle, saw O'Dowda