Mid-season report: Reading

After their relegation from the Premier League last season, Reading have reached the halfway stage of the current campaign in ninth position in the Championship table.

Nigel Adkins's side started in superb style, losing just once in their opening 10 fixtures, but no win in four matches derailed their momentum.

Three successive defeats over the Christmas period has resulted in Reading falling further down the standings, and the pressure is on Adkins to lead a revival after the turn of the year.

Sports Mole looks back at the first half of the campaign for the Royals.

August

Reading opened up their Championship campaign by coming from behind to beat Ipswich Town 2-1 at the Madejski Stadium to begin the season on a positive note.

A second-half penalty from Nick Blackman earned Adkins's side a point away at Bolton Wanderers, but two late goals from Watford were enough for the Hornets to earn a 3-3 draw in the middle of the month.

A narrow loss at Blackpool followed and the Royals were in danger of losing their early momentum, but Adam Le Fondre struck 13 minutes from time against Yeovil Town to see Reading end the month in ninth position.

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September

Pavel Pogrebnyak was dismissed after 31 minutes against Brighton & Hove Albion, but Reading hung on to claim a point, and they maintained ninth place in the standings.

The Royals moved up a gear in the second half of the month with three victories in a row, with Leeds United, Derby County and Birmingham City all suffering losses at the hands of the Berkshire outfit.

That run of wins was enough to take Reading into the playoff places, and with several of their rivals dropping points, they ended September just two points off second place.

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October

Reading came unstuck at the beginning of October as they were held on the road at Barnsley, before falling to a late Danny Ings goal against Burnley at Turf Moor.

They responded by thrashing Doncaster Rovers on their home patch, but another late goal saw them drop two more points against Millwall at the Madejski.

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November

The penultimate month of the year started badly for Reading as they succumbed to a 5-2 setback to Sheffield Wednesday, who recorded their first Championship triumph of the season in the process.

Back-to-back draws against Queens Park Rangers and Blackburn Rovers followed, as Adkins witnessed his side drop out of the playoff places for the first time in six weeks.

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However, November ended with a thrilling victory away at Nottingham Forest, with Jordan Obita scoring the winning goal with 16 minutes remaining at the City Ground.

December

Billy Sharp got on the score sheet at the start of December to earn Reading a 1-0 win over Charlton Athletic, but four days later, they were stunned by visitors Bournemouth, who fought to a 2-1 success.

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A win at Huddersfield Town took Reading up to fifth position, but a home defeat to a resurgent Wigan Athletic outfit meant that the Royals began the Christmas period on the wrong foot.

Their disappointment worsened on Boxing Day with a 1-0 defeat at Leicester, before they ended 2014 with a poor performance at Middlesbrough, losing 3-0 at the North-East team.