Reading FC manager Mark Bowen blasted the mentality of his players after a 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough at the Madejski Stadium.

Liam Moore had opened the scoring on his return to the side, but goals from Ashley Fletcher and Manchester City loanee Patrick Roberts secured a vital three points for the struggling Teesiders.

Speaking after the game, Bowen said: "I'm obviously very disappointed with the final result. 

"We got in front and then we had a certain penalty turned down on Olise and then Swift hit the inside of the post - if one of those two had gone in I think we might have gone and won the game comfortably.

"I've been saying it for weeks and weeks. You need everybody putting a shift in and if you get 2 or 3 who go through the motions, you concede goals and lose games. The mentality does get you results.

"We needed to step up in the forward areas in the second half and that didn't happen. We've got quality, but there wasn't a lot of quality tonight.

"You bang the drums and say the right things but you need to have the mentality. Certainly in the second half it looked like we were the team that were going through the motions.

"Maybe tonight was one of the end of the season games which, believe me, drives me absolutely mad." 

Bowe also expressed his frustration at the performance of some of his creative players.

"Olise, Swift and Puscas were all sloppy in possession. They had to show better quality in their passing.

"Every time we gave the ball away we just encouraged them. We should have had more character in possession and keep chasing the ball.

"Swift looked a bit tired, he was off it, and he wasn't on his own. There were a few others and we were scratching around for that bit of quality."