STEVE CLARKE admitted Nottingham Forest were worthy winners as his side fell to a 3-1 defeat at The City Ground.
Reading took the lead on 14 minutes through Matej Vydra before Chris O’Grady levelled and a brace of Nelson Oliveira strikes swung the contest in favour of the hosts.
And Clarke was quick to acknowledge his side were beaten by the better team in the East Midlands.
“I think Forest deserved to win, you have to say that,” he admitted.
“The disappointment for us was after a scrappy opening for both teams we managed to get our noses in front and then couldn’t hold onto the lead long enough.
“Not only conceding the equaliser but conceding the second from a breakaway from our own corner, which is something we spoke about before the game to make sure it didn’t happen, and it did happen so that’s obviously disappointing.
“From there it was always going to be difficult to get back in the game.”
Reading were handed a lifeline to mount an unlikely revival when Forest defender Jack Hobbs was sent off midway through the second half, but with the hosts already 3-1 to the good, Clarke says the red card did not necessarily help his side’s cause.
He said: “I think we got some shots away but it was always going to be difficult.
“For Forest it just concentrates their mind.
“They know that they just have to defend two banks of four and sit on the edge of the box and then it becomes difficult to break them down whether you’ve got 10 men on the pitch or not.
“It’s easy to sit back and defend the edge of the box which Forest did very well.”
Despite the defeat, a third straight loss on the road, the Royals boss does not want the result to be blown out of proportion, and was keen to quickly switch focus to the club’s next test against Queens Park Rangers.
“It’s been a decent season up until now you can’t look at this defeat and say it’s a disastrous defeat,” he said.
“It’s difficult to come to Forest.
“Derby came here and lost in Forest’s last home game. It’s a difficult place to come. You always have to keep a sense of perspective in the chase for a play-off position.”
He continued: “We have another game at home on Thursday night and we are going to need the supporters to get right behind us.
“We’re going to need the boys to step up to the mark. I’m going to have to step up to the mark and then we have to start picking up points tonight.”
