Here are our player ratings from yesterday's 1-0 defeat to Bristol City at the Madejski Stadium.

Rafael: 6

Other than their goal, Bristol City never mounted many shots on target, leaving Rafael with little to do.

Admittedly there wasn’t an awful lot that he could do about Paterson’s goal, a low drive into the bottom corner.

Chris Gunter: 6

Gunter is always one of the first names to come up for criticism after a Reading loss, however I believe he was one of the stronger performers last night.

He put in a shift defensively and contributed going forward with some dangerous balls into the box and some neat one-twos with Olise.

Michael Morrison: 7

Morrison stood out as Reading’s best player last night: a crucial block to deny Diedhiou from point blank range, and some very positive dribbling when in possession that helped create multiple chances for the Royals.

He kept his head up and, despite being a defender, was always looking to thread the pass and cause the visitors problems.

Liam Moore: 5

Moore was caught napping at the back in the build up to Paterson’s winner. The Reading captain didn’t have much involvement in the game and failed to make an impact.

I felt he could have been more of a leader last night.

Tyler Blackett: 5

Blackett struggled to replicate his performances of late, with a sub-par showing against Bristol City. He was caught out of position, which allowed Eliasson to play in Paterson for his goal.

Blackett also failed to add anything to the Royals’ attack, leaving most of the work to Obita.

Jordan Obita: 6

Offensively, Obita was arguably Reading’s strongest performer; the naturally left-sided full-back adopted the left midfielder role against the Robins and supplied some pin-point crosses in to the box that, inevitably, no one got on to.

Obita struggled with his accuracy in the first half but was constantly putting the ball across the face of the goal, hoping to find Puscas.

Michael Olise: 6

The 18 year-old played some beautiful 40/50 yard passes but when it came to the final third, Olise showed he doesn’t completely trust himself yet.

His reluctancy to shoot was frustrating for the home fans, who wanted him to make the most of the space. Instead, he often opted to turn once more or flick it in to the box, which amounted to nothing.

Pele: 6

Pele started the game as Reading’s best player, with an impressive display of passing - spraying it wide, and some sleek interceptions.

However, as the game grew on, Pele lost his grip and begun to misplace passes and gift possession unnecessarily.

Ovie Ejaria: 5

Ejaria struggled to have his usual impact on the game: he wasn’t allowed the space and was a shadow of his usual self. He failed to leave his mark on the travelling side and as a result, he cut a frustrated figure at times, often looking uninterested in his surroundings.

Prior to the Robins’ opener, Morrison cushioned a header into the feet of Ejaria who was just one or two yards out, but he blasted the ball over as he lost his footing.

It didn’t help that Swift was unable to offer him any real support throughout.

John Swift: 4

John Swift, the man who has been pivotal to Reading’s success since Bowen’s takeover, was a shadow of his former self last night. The Royals’ midfielder was unable to even string two passes together and lost possession on countless occasions.

Swift was eventually put out of his misery as he made way for Sone Aluko.

George Puscas: 5

Puscas started the game fairly well, with some decent hold-up play and some note-worthy running in behind; he looked as if he was capable of causing the visitors some problems.

However, as the game progressed, Puscas lost his tempo and begun to concede possession. He was disappointed to be the first player pulled off; he made way for Sam Baldock

SUBS

Sam Baldock: 6

Baldock seemed to be doing all the right things but it just wasn’t coming off for him. A miscommunication between himself and Meite spurned a decent opportunity for the Royals.

Unfortunately for the home fans, Baldock’s cameo didn’t have the same effect as it did at the City Ground.

Yakou Meite: 6

Meite looked to be Reading’s saviour and came as close as anyone. His far-post header came off the inside of the near post and trickled across the goal line before being cleared - a painful moment for Reading fans.

Meite was also played in by Baldock following a slip up in the City defence, but with his back to goal, he wasn’t able to cause Bentley any issues between the sticks.

Sone Aluko: 6

Although some may not agree, I believe Aluko added another dimension to Reading’s attack; he consistently found space for himself on the left flank and was central to most of the Royals’ late attacks.

However, Aluko saw his name in the headlines and tried to cut inside and get a shot away one too many times. Other than his decision-making, Aluko added more to the game than John Swift, who made for him.