Reading boss defends his team's approach in verdict on Sunderland defeat

Ince was asked in his post-match press conference whether his team's defensive approach and habit of taking time over set pieces was as a result of Sunderland's attacking talent.

The Reading boss responded by saying that most Championship games were like that, and that his team couldn't have been time wasting when they weren't leading.

Ince's side were around five minutes away from taking a point when Baba Rahman was caught on the ball in his own box by Patrick Roberts, with the winger duly proceeding to fire a fine effort into the net.

"He made a couple of saves, Joe and a couple went over the bar but you expect that," Ince said.

"You get the killer punch in the 85th minute and you lose a game you shouldn’t lose.

“The first half we nullified them, you could sense it in the fans.

"Great support Sunderland have got and we knew it was going to be tough, but we had to quieten the fans and in the first half we did that.

“We had three or four opportunities where if we were more precise in our transition we would have opened them up.

“Coming in at half-time half our job was done, so it was more of the same. Every time the ball went into their box they were uncomfortable.

“Of course, they will have one or two chances. You think you’ve ridden the worst and then you make a mistake and that’s how they win the game- there’s nothing else to say.

“I am pleased to come here and play the way we did,” he said.

“We’re talking about a Sunderland team with some really nice technicians. We kept them relatively quiet. To come here and put in the performance we did has to give you some positivity."

The defeat leaves Reading in eighteenth place, but they maintain a nine-point cushion to the relegation zone in a season where while under a transfer embargo, they were widely predicted to be battling the drop.