Reading conceded another late sucker-punch, and went down to 10-men, in an entertaining 2-1 defeat at Blackburn Rovers.

Cesare Casadei pulled the Royals level in the second half after Ben Brereton-Diaz gave Jon-Dahl Tomasson's men a first half lead.

Ryan Hedges nicked the winner and Mamadou Loum saw red in a frantic final 10 minutes at Ewood Park.

In a game with plenty of chances for both sides, it took just 120 seconds for the hosts to take the lead. From Reading’s corner, won after some clever play and a blocked Tom McIntyre shot, Rovers broke and managed to switch play to Brereton-Diaz, who has the quality and calm nature to cut in and fire past Joe Lumley. The visitors were struggling to come up with a response despite a positive start, and it could have been two 10 minutes later when Brereton-Diaz found Sammie Szmodics. The former Bristol City midfielder whipped a delicious ball across the face of the goal, but there were no takers for the play-off outfit.

The bright midfielder came close himself shortly after, only for a Royal leg to get in the way and block an effort at source. The Royals had a good chance of their own shortly after, all of their own work. The midfield pushed high and a poor goal kick only reached Ceseare Casadei. The Chelsea youngster kept his powerful effort on target, but unfortunately straight into the body of Aynsley Pears in the net. Shane Long did put the ball in the net on the half hour mark, but the flag had long been up for offside against the Irishman.

Sorba Thomas, a constant thorn in the Reading side, forced Lumley into a strong save and it could have been worse less than a minute later as Lumley’s clearance struck the Rovers forward and trickled toward goal, only to hit the post and fall gratefully into the arms of the stopper. Casadei saw another effort saved, this one causing more problems and only being palmed away after dipping in the air. Ticking toward half-time, it could have been worse in Lancashire as Joe Rankin-Costello could only find the tip of the crossbar before dipping behind for a goal kick for the last chance of the opening period.

For those thinking the first half was frantic and end-to-end, it had nothing on the second period. The Royals came out with the bit between their teeth and forced an early corner, which ultimately came to nothing. The hosts will be thinking how it was not game over with more than half hour remaining, so threatening were the chances. Mbengue threw himself in front of a Brereton Diaz shot and Gallagher somehow put a chance over the bar from inside the six yard box. Lumley had more than his share to do also, making an incredible double save to prevent Brereton Diaz and Gallagher in the same phase.

Reading hit the hosts when they could too, Long coming agonisingly close to dipping over Pears. Somewhat against the run of play, it did come. Casadei had tried his luck once or twice in the first half to no avail, but it did come in front of the travelling 284 fans as he linked up with Ince before thrashing into the back of his net for his first Royals goal. The Lancashire club, gunning for promotion, twisted the screw and despite the attempts to slow the game down it came as no surprise when substitute Ryan Hedges fired home from inside the box to regain the lead.

It went from bad to worse in the final 10 minutes after midfielder Loum, who had been having a good game up to this point, was shown a straight red card for putting his head into Gallagher’s.

Without an away win since returning from the World Cup, Hull City visit the SCL Stadium on Saturday.