Reading FC 1 - 2 Norwich City: Royals one point off drop zone and without a win in five games

Jaap Stam’s men were booed off the Madejski Stadium pitch by disgruntled fans after a fifth defeat in 10 Championship games left them 20th in the table and one point above the drop zone.

James Maddison’s brilliant free-kick gave Norwich City the lead, but Liam Moore levelled with a clinical header just three minutes later.

Reading were the better side for the remainder of the first half but lacked the same spark after the break, with Cameron Jerome heading the visitors back in front in the 51st minute.

And while the Canaries ended with 10 men after Marley Watkins’ 90th minute red, there was no coming back for the hosts, even though Chris Gunter clipped the crossbar.

Stam has always warned Royals may struggle to match last season’s success, but few expected his side to struggle this much.

His tactics are continually questioned by supporters whose collective patience is wearing thin, particularly with his reluctance to start with Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and go without a recognised striker in the team.

There is no suggestion Stam’s position is under immediate threat. But it is clearly the club’s loyalty will only stretch so far and that results must quickly improve.

Stam made two changes from the side that lost at Millwall on Tuesday night with fit-again Leandro Bacuna and Liam Kelly replacing Tiago Ilori and Dave Edwards, who scored at the New Den.

There was also a welcome return to the bench for Mo Barrow following an injury lay-off, but Jordan Obita’s recent knee injury meant Omar Richards was named among the subs.

And once again Stam was without a recognised striker in his starting XI in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Bodvarsson also on the bench and Roy Beerens deployed in a central attacking role.

Meanwhile, Canaries boss Daniel Farke also made two changes from the side that beat Middlesbrough in midweek as Josh Murphy and Wes Hoolahan both returned.

Liam Moore gave Reading the lead with this excellent header.

The clash between a Reading side struggling for goals and a Norwich team who had not conceded in their previous five games before kick-off hardly set pulses racing.

Royals struggled to find any rhythm in the opening exchanges and saw Bacuna booked in only the sixth minute for a late trip.

Stam’s men never did recover from that as Norwich recycled the ball and won another free-kick 25 yards out following a clumsy Joey van den Berg challenge.

And Maddison needs no invitation to shoot from that distance as Canaries’ dead-ball specialist curled an effort over the wall and into the top corner, giving Vito Mannone no chance.

Yet Norwich’s celebrations lasted barely three minutes as Royals grabbed a swift equaliser through Moore.

This time it was the visitors’ turn to concede a free kick in the dangerous position and, when Sone Aluko, floated a cross to the past post, Moore outmuscled his marker before aiming an angled header past Angus Gunn and into the opposite corner.

Not only was it a welcome equaliser, Reading had got a monkey off their back, being the first goal scored in the first half of a game this season, and the first Norwich had conceded in 481 minutes.

Yet Farke’s men continued to look dangerous and almost regained the lead in the 22nd minute when Cameron Jerome controlled a James Husband pass before dinking the ball past Mannone but against the far post.

Reading survived that scare and enjoyed a decent spell as Norwich came under pressure.

And they almost notched a second goal 11 minutes before the break when McCleary held off Husband before lobbing the on-rushing Gunn, only for the ball to bounce inches wide of an unguarded net.

The Canaries responded through Murphy’s powerful strike from the edge of the box which Mannone did well to smother.

And they did recapture the lead six minutes after the restart following some dreadful marking by Reading at a corner.

Tyler Blackett lost sight of Cameron and, when Maddison’s in-swiging flag-kick evaded everyone, the unmarked Norwich striker headed powerfully past Mannone at the back post.

Reading would now have to muster an equaliser for the second time in the match, and they threatened on 64 minutes when Garath McCeary burst forward only to miss the target from 18 yards.

Then, after a flurry of yellow cards to the home side, Stam’s men hit the woodwork five minutes later, Chris Gunter unleashing an outrageous drive on the angle that skimmed the top of Gunn’s crossbar after Bodvarsson’s initial effort had been blocked moments after coming on.

But from there on the majority of Reading’s attacks floundered on City’s well-drilled defence.

Their final ball often lacked quality as Norwich were happy to sit back and soak up the pressure.

Yet Reading’s tails were up in the 90th minute when Norwich substitute Marley Watkins received a straight red card for an ugly challenge on Gunter.

But the closest they came to forcing home a leveller was when substitute Omar Richards drilled a low effort straight at Mannone during five minutes of time added on.

As the final whistle blew so the boos rang out at Madejski Stadium after a fifth Championship defeat in 10 matches left Stam’s men hovering above the drop zone heading into a fortnight’s international break.

Reading: Mannone, Gunter, McShane, Moore, Blackett (Richards 75), van den Berg, Bacuna, Kelly, McCleary (Barrow 75), Beerens, Aluko (Bodvarsson 68). Subs not used: Jaakkola, Ilori, Edwards, Clement, Booked: Bacuna 6. Moore 60, Beerens 63, Van den Berg 66.

Norwich: Gunn; Pinto; Zimmermann, Klose, Husband; Tettey, Trybull; Hoolahan (Wildschut 84), Maddison (Reed 76), Murphy (Watkins 58); Jerome. Subs not used: Gunn; McGovern, Vrancic, Oliveira, Hanley. Booked: Reed 78. Red card: Watkins 90.

Referee: Tim Robinson.

Attendance: 14,226 (Norwich 1,321).