Reading slipped to defeat in front of fans at the Madejski after Lucas Joao’s missed penalty cost them the chance to cancel out Jon Toral’s first-half brace for Birmingham City.
Toral struck twice before the break to put the Royals two goals down. Reading grabbed a goal back with their first shot on target after an hour from Yakou Meite.
Harlee Dean was sent off, but Lucas Joao saw his penalty saved by Neil Etheridge as the Blues held on to claim the points.
Under the bright lights, the Royals had a chance to potentially end the night as league leaders in the Championship if results went their way, but the defeat leaves them in fifth position.
Veljko Paunovic named an unchanged side front he team that breezed past Nottingham Forest on Saturday as fans returned to the Madejski Stadium for the first time in nine months.
The game started in a slow manner as Ovie Ejaria’s long ball couldn’t find the run of Yakou Meite and ran through to Birmingham keeper Neil Etheridge.
The Blues played themselves into the match and had delivered a few overhit crosses into the Royals’ box, before Rafael did well to collect the ball safely after Scott Hogan’s cross deflected off Omar Richards.
Birmingham had a decent spell of possession as Hogan got in behind the Reading defence only to be denied by the offside flag.
Former Birmingham captain Michael Morrison, had Reading’s first attempt at goal when the ball fell kindly back to him after he had tried to play in Lucas Joao, and he showed a neat turn but dug a shot wide of the target.
Bereft of midfield creativity, it was Liam Moore who tried to install some attacking intent with a brilliant diagonal long ball to Tom Holmes which won the hosts their first corner of the night, but Birmingham defended well.
The first goal of the net came in the 29th minute as the Blues took the lead. Jon Toral set himself up with a good touch and arrowed a shot into the bottom corner via a touch off the inside of the post to give Aitor Karanka team the breakthrough.
Going behind was to be a bad omen for Paunovic’s side who have yet to come from behind to win a game this season.
And things almost got worse moments after the opener when Jonathan Leko hit a goal bound shot following a clearance from a corner but Moore was perfectly placed on the line to keep the ball out.
But things did get worse before the break as the visitors found a second goal. Toral struck again, cutting inside from the right wing and curling the ball past Rafael into the corner in the 37th minute.
Michael Olise brought Reading forward in search of a reply but hit a wild shot well over the bar as he opted to try and score instead of playing the ball to Joao, who was tightly marked by the Blues defence.
With his team yet to have a shot on target 58 minutes into the game, Paunovic made a change as Alfa Semedo replaced Olise.
And Tomas Esteves came on just minutes later in place of Holmes.
The Royals got themselves back in the game with their first shot on target on the hour mark as Yakou Meite slid the ball past Etheridge to convert Andy Rinomhota’s cross to reduce the deficit to one.
Moore played another testing long ball to give Joao a ball to chase, and he won Reading a free kick right on the edge of the box after he was pushed by Harlee Dean who was shown a yellow card. Ejaria took the resulting free kick but hit a curling strike over the top of the bar.
Having applied the pressure to Birmingham, Reading were awarded a penalty kick when Meite was pulled down in the box by Dean, who received his second yellow in quick succession and was sent off.
With the chance to diminish Birmingham’s lead, Lucas Joao stepped up to the spot.
But his kick was kept out by Etheridge who guessed the right way and palmed the ball away from goal.
Playing against 10 players for the third successive game, the hosts searched to find a leveller as Sone Aluko was introduced in the 82nd minute in place of Ejaria.
Birmingham keeper Etheridge was finally shown a yellow card after taking an increasingly long time to take goal kicks.
Reading’s final chance came in added time when Esteves played a free kick short down the wing to Joao who dinked an effort over the keeper but agonisingly wide of the far post.
The 10 men of Birmingham held on resolutely to frustrate the Royals and take all three points home with them.
Reading are away at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday before they host current league leaders Norwich City next Wednesday.
Reading: Rafael, Richards, Morrison, Moore (c), Holmes, Rinomhota, Laurent, Ejaria, Olise, Meite, Joao
Subs: Walker, Esteves, Gibson, McIntyre, Tetek, Semedo, Onen, Aluko, Baldock
Birmingham City: Etheridge, Colin, Roberts, Dean (c), Pedersen, Kieftenbeld, Senjic, Toral, Leko, Sanchez, Hogan
Subs: Prieto, Clarke-Salter, Darces-Cogley, Gardner, San Jose, McGree, Clayton, Halilovic, Jutkiewicz
Goals: Toral 29′, 37′, Meite 61′
