READING FC boss Brian McDermott admitted Tuesday night's defeat at Portman Road was 'tough to take.'

Brett Pitman struck a 90th minute winner to extend Ipswich's incredible run to 16 straight home victories on a Tuesday going back to February 2013.

Garath McCleary looked to have secured a point for the Royals when his 69th minute penalty cancelled out Ryan Fraser's opener 13 minutes earlier.

But Luke Varney linked up with fellow substitute Pitman in the final minute to clinch a dramatic victory for Mick McCarthy's hosts.

The defeat means Reading have taken a paltry eight points from the last 33 on offer, and have slipped down to 16th place in the Championship table.

McDermott confessed: "It’s tough to take. We didn’t deserve to lose.

“It was a tough game, a pretty ugly at times, but we stayed in the game and got back into it at 1-1.

“I  thought we were going to go on and win it.

"I think they’ve won every Tuesday night home game they’ve had for about 10 years, so to get a draw would have been a good point. It’s disappointing we haven’t got a result.”

He added: "We had a draw in the 89th minute but we couldn’t see the game out.

“We talked about the details before and you have to get them right to win games in this division.

“We had a throw in, then one ball down the side of us and they score. We have to get those details right."

This was Reading's ninth away defeat this season and they are without a win in four Championship matches.

McDermott's men will go in search of their first three points in the league since a 1-0 victory against Bristol City on January 2 when they host Wolverhampton Wanderers this Saturday (3pm ko).

Royals' boss declared: "I can’t complain about the guts, the commitment, and the spirit the boys showed out there.

“They gave us everything, but we got a couple of details wrong. I’m just gutted we couldn't take at least a point home for the fans who came up here.

"But that’s football. That’s what the Championship is about. We’ve got to take it on the chin, get up off the floor and look forward to a run of home games.”

Ipswich's victory came in front of their lowest league attendance this season of 16,616.

Boss Mick McCarthy said: “I think me and TC (assistant Terry Connor) made more noise than the crowd with our barking and shouting and growling.

“I’m chuffed for everybody. It wasn’t a great game, I think Reading are a really good side and that was probably one of our hardest games all season.

“I said to them at half-time ‘just keep grinding it out – we might nick it in the 90th minute’.”