READING are still without a point in the Championship after losing their opening three games of a league season for the first time in almost 60 years.
The Royals came into today’s clash with Bolton on the back of encouraging displays in defeat to promotion hopefuls Derby County and Nottingham Forest, but they were edged out again thanks to a Yanic Wildschut winner, three minutes into the second half.
Yakou Meite and John Swift both went close to netting for the Royals, but a toothless second half display leaves Reading in the relegation zone after their worst start since 1959.
Paul Clement made four changes from the midweek cup win over Birmingham City, notably bringing in Paul McShane to partner Liam Moore in defence with Tiago Ilori dropping out.
Mo Barrow missed out through injury while Sam Walker and Leandro Bacuna both dropped to the bench with Vito Mannone, David Meyler and Liam Kelly recalled.
But it was the visitors who got off to the better start, almost taking the lead inside the opening two minutes when a cross from the right was nodded down by Josh Magennis to Josh Vela, but his shot was deflected behind.
Royals grew into the contest and almost broke the deadlock when Swift lined up a free-kick from a similar distance to where he scored on Tuesday, but goalkeeper Ben Alnwick produced a fine stop.
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Sam Baldock and Marc McNulty then showed more signs of their blossoming partnership with the latter racing through before his shot was blocked.
After a scrappy spell where both sides fail to create any clear cut openings, Reading came forwards again with Meite latching onto McNulty’s through ball, shrugging off Mark Beevers in the process and rounding the goalkeeper, only for David Wheater to get back and make a vital interception to deny the winger an open goal.
It was then Bolton’s turn to carve out a big chance with Magennis teeing up Will Buckley on the edge of the box, but his low shot was stopped by Mannone.
Baldock tried his luck before the half was out from just inside the box, but again Alnwick was there to make the save.
Phil Parkinson made a switch at the break, introducing Wildschut in place of Buckley and the change paid off almost instantly.
The winger burst clean through on goal just three minutes after the restart from a Craig Noone pass and coolly slotted past Mannone.
There was no instant response from the Royals as the game settled into a similar pattern to the first half and it took until the hour mark for the first meaningful effort as Baldock curled wide.
Swift was also off target before the Royals finally worked Alnwick again when a Kelly free-kick from out wide was met by Moore and then McShane, but neither could prod it home.
Clement made three late changes, introducing Bacuna, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Adrian Popa but the Royals failed to test Alnwick as the visitors saw out the victory to leave Reading still seeking their first points of the season.
READING: Mannone; Yiadom, McShane (c), Moore, Blackett; Meite, Meyler (Bacuna 73), Kelly, Swift (Popa 85); Baldock, McNulty (Bodvarsson 73).
Subs not used: Walker, O’Shea, Ilori, Clement.
Yellow cards: Blackett (25), Kelly (65)
BOLTON: Alnwick; Olkowski, Wheater (c), Beevers, Taylor; Noone (Donaldson 81), Murphy (O’Neil 66), Lowe, Buckley (Wildschut 45); Vela; Magennis.
Subs not used: Matthews, Wilson, Grounds, Oztumer.
Goal: Wildschut (48)
Yellow card: Wheater (11)
Referee: James Linington
Attendance: 13,318 (inc. 856 away)
