Reading boss Noel Hunt has labelled Saturday afternoon's 1-1 draw with Stevenage 'two points dropped.'
Carl Piergianni scored in both nets during the second half as mid-table Boro frustrated the hosts.
Now unbeaten in 10 matches, the Royals are two points outside the play-offs heading into the international break, with nine matches left to play.
"It was a frustrating one from our point of view. They came here to slow the game down and we gave them too many, at times. We gave them the reason to put it in the box. We fouled a bit too much; we got a little frustrated with the game.
"We didn’t get into a rhythm, the game we stop-start throughout. Everything took an age to do and they probably go away happy with the point. The boys are putting in a shift and we can never fault that. On the day we lacked the composure in the final third."
"We are at home, so we see it as two points dropped," he concluded. "Joel had to make a save or two but that’s his job. Other than that, the long balls, they never opened us up. Counter-attacks we needed to nail down at half-time, second half we did reasonably well. We need to not get sucked into their game, get the ball down and play.
"The game didn’t allow a rhythm with the stop starts and how the officials allowed them to take so long over every set play. Balls were being moved and nothing was being done, the minute we do it we get a booking. I thought it was unfair today."
In the second half, Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan was taken out in the penalty box but nothing was awarded, something which frustrated Hunt.
"It was a stonewall penalty and he hasn’t given it. He takes the ball in, and he’s come in from behind. He’s given every foul against us from behind today so they can put the ball in the box. When it happens to us, because it’s in the box, he doesn’t want to give it."
Andy Yiadom was drafted in for his first start in 11 months after Michael Stickland's red card in midweek, while Louie Holzman came off the bench in the second half despite fracturing his eye socket.
"We have to take off Yids who played 70 minutes, his first start in 330 days. We had to bring on Louie, who has a fractured eye socket, to see out the rest of the game. Every team has their problems, but we have extensive ones. That is part and parcel of the journey. We can be proud of the effort but disappointed we didn’t get the win."
Reading return to action on March 29 against Peterborough United.
