Reading 3 Ipswich Town 1: IPSWICH Town's season of turmoil continued with a 3-1 defeat to Reading at the Madejski Stadium. Two first half goals from Nicky Forster did the damage after poor defending from the Blues left them chasing the game.

Reading 3 Ipswich Town 1

IPSWICH Town's season of turmoil continued with a 3-1 defeat to Reading at the Madejski Stadium.

Two first half goals from Nicky Forster did the damage. Forster's first came on 27 minutes when he flicked home a header after a static Town defence failed to clear a Reading free-kick.

Five minutes before the break more poor defending from the Blues allowed Forster to race onto a long clearance and volley a spectacular shot in off the far post and leave Town chasing the game.

Alun Armstrong replaced Marcus Bent to try and revive Ipswich's attack at half-time and Town certainly looked more threatening in the opening minutes of the second half.

Darren Ambrose looked to have brought Ipswich back into the match on 61 minutes with a scorching free-kick which flew into the net off the crossbar.

But just six minutes later Pablo Counago was sent off for an off the ball incident involving Addie Williams although the Ipswich bench were incensed by the decision.

The sending off certainly ended a good spell for Ipswich and their fate was sealed on 69 minutes when Forster raced away from the Ipswich defence before firing past Andy Marshall to complete his hat-trick.

Forster looked to be offside but Town can have no argument with the result which leaves them further behind the Division One pacesetters, if automatic promotion is still even possible.

It was the first defeat for caretaker boss Tony Mowbray but the result only seems to confirm that Ipswich are in desperate need of change. Whether that change comes from within or from an external source remains to be seen.