We deserved better, says Reading boss Paul Ince after Blackpool defeat

Reading manager Paul Ince felt his side deserved better after starting the Championship season with a 1-0 defeat at Blackpool.

Ince saw his side beaten by Callum Connolly’s ninth-minute strike at Bloomfield Road.

But the Reading boss felt their performance showed the progress they have made over the summer

“I’m really disappointed because I thought we were excellent in the second half,” Ince said.

“I think anyone watching that game today – even Blackpool fans – would have said we deserved to get something out of the game, if not win it.

“It’s hard to take positives when you lose, but I’ve taken a lot of them.

“In the first half we were a little bit passive for the first few minutes, then we started to get into our stride.

“But we conceded a silly goal, making wrong decisions and we’re 1-0 down. On saying that, maybe we would have capitulated in that situation last year.

“We came on for the second half and it looked like only one team was going to win the game.”

Ince, who steered the Royals away from relegation after taking charge last season, handed out four debuts in a new-look team.

But, despite creating chances, most notably through Junior Hoilett, they could not find the equaliser.

“We’re talking about our team which is quite new, with a lot of young kids that have come in,” added Ince.

“(The Championship) is a different kettle of fish for some of these guys, but I said to them before the game they’ve just got to be competitive.

“I said we’re going to win games and lose games, but we’ve got to be competitive, not just for ourselves, but for the fans. And we were competitive.”

In contrast victorious Blackpool boss Michael Appleton was disappointed his team were not further ahead at the interval.

In the first game of