IT was sweet 16 for Ipswich Town, but a sour night for Reading FC after a 2-1 loss at Portman Road.

Brett Pitman struck a 90th minute winner to make it an incredible 16 straight home victories on a Tuesday night for the Tractor Boys, stretching back to 2013.

But it was a familiar tale of frustration on the road for the Royals after a ninth away defeat this season.

Brian McDermott's visitors looked good for a point when Garath McCleary equalised from the spot with 69 minutes gone after Ryan Fraser had put Ipswich in front 13 minutes earlier.

However, Mick McCarthy must take much of the credit for turning a run-ending draw into three more midweek points.

Both of his late substitutions combined to score the winner, with Luke Varney running behind a static defence for Pitman to slot home.

McDermott made one change to the side that ended Walsall's FA Cup run on Saturday.

Yann Kermorgant came in for his first start since his £500,000 switch from Bournemouth last week in place of the injured Aaron Tshibola.

In another boost, McCleary recovered from a knock to take his place on the bench that also included Paul McShane.

However, Latvia striker Deniss Rakels was forced to sit it out again while Royals await international clearance.

The odds were stacked against McDermott's men as they attempted to end Ipswich's love affair with Tuesday nights.

But history was in Royals' favour with eight victories in the previous nine league meetings between the sides.

Portman Road had been a happy hunting ground too, with three wins in their last four visits.

Royals nullified their hosts early on and saw Oliver Norwood blaze a free-kick wide as they looked to snatch the lead.

Ipswich cranked up the pressure midway through the first half, yet a shot from Ainsley Maitland-Niles that was blocked by Jake Cooper was all they could muster.

Danny Williams replied at the other end with another blocked effort then Frazer whistled an effort wide as the game threatened to burst into life.

Cooper was also off target with a header from a Norwood set piece, and it took until the 38th minute for the first real save of significance, with Bartosz Bialkowski comfortably holding a shot from Matej Vydra.

Yet five minutes later Ali Al Habsi saved Vydra's blushes after he was caught in possession by making a crucial stop to deny Fraser from a Freddie Sears cross.

Tommy Smith fired wide from the resulting corner and Ipswich threatened from another flag kick on the stroke of half time, but again Al Habsi swept up nicely.

Ipswich burst out of the traps in the second half, but Luke Hyam failed to capitalise on a mix up between Jordan Obita and Cooper by blazing over.

Then Vydra missed the target in the 55th minute as McDermott's men pushed forward.

But their resistance was eventually broken 12 minutes after the restart.

The visitors coughed the ball up in midfield and a clinical burst and cross from Sears was superbly finished by Fraser on the turn from 12 yards out.

It almost became 2-0 on the hour when Norwood gave it away and Daryl Murphy blazed into the side netting.

McDermott's men may have been under the cosh, but they refused to give in and levelled in the 69th minute.

Hal Robson-Kanu chased a Danny Williams long ball and was brought down by Cole Skuse.

Referee Tim Robinson pointed to the penalty spot and McCleary hammered the ball down the middle for 1-1.

No one was more relieved than McCleary who, moments earlier, butchered a two-on-one chance with Vydra in support.

With the game there for the winning, Al Habsi was alert to Jonas Knudsen's stinging drive.

But Reading failed to create another clear-cut chance and were punished in the last minute.

A long ball from the back caught Reading's defence napping and Varney ate up yards of grass before crossing for Pitman to score.

The win sent Ipswich back into the play-off spots on a night they made it 16 Tuesday wins in a row in front of a 16,616 crowd.

Reading, however, slide further down the table to, where else, but 16th position.

This Saturday Royals, without a win in four Championship matches, host Wolves, who threw away a 2-0 lead and drew 2-2 at home with Bolton tonight (3pm ko).

Ipswich: Bialkowski, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Maitland-Niles (Bru 46), Skuse, Hyam (Pitman 82), Fraser, Sears, Murphy (Varney . Subs not used: Henly, Foley, Digby, Coke, Varney, Pitman. Booked: Berra 66.

Reading FC: Al-Habsi, Gunter, Obita, Ferdinand, Cooper, Williams, Norwood, Quinn (McCleary 62), Robson-Kanu, Vydra, Kermorgant. Subs not used: Bond, Taylor, Hector, McShane, Piazon, John. Booked: Obita 19, Norwood 45.

Referee: Tim Robinson.

Attendance: 16, 616 (Reading 205).