The Trotters went in front in the 20th minute when leading marksman Dion Charles slotted home his sixth goal of the season.
But Reading levelled through Charlie Savage 13 minutes from the end and secured the win courtesy of Caylon Vickers in the 86th minute.
To compound Bolton’s woes, defender Eoin Toal was sent off in the fourth minute of stoppage time for a second yellow card.
Troubled Reading had been docked three points in midweek due to Chinese owner Dai Yongge failing to comply with English Football League financial requirements.
In protest at Yongge, home fans threw tennis balls on to the pitch midway through the first half, causing a three-minute delay before referee Lee Swabey resumed the game.
Bolton, who had produced little before the stoppage, took the lead almost immediately when Charles raced on to a Kyle Dempsey pass and drove home from an acute angle.
Reading battled gamely and Femi Azeez was only denied an equaliser when his well-struck 20-yard effort cannoned off the crossbar.
The Royals dominated the second period and gained their just rewards near the end.
Savage drove home from 20 yards via a post for the equaliser and substitute Vickers tucked in at the near post to grab the winner.
The home side opened the scoring after just three minutes when a dangerous cross from Ted Bishop was deflected into his own net by the unfortunate Nelson Abbey.
The visitors responded well and could have levelled in the 13th minute when Lewis Wing’s 25-yard free-kick flashed just past the post while Sam Smith headed narrowly over moments later.
Reading had the ball in the net on two occasions before half-time, both through Paul Mukairu, but referee Bobby Madley whistled for a foul on the defender for the first before he was denied a second time by the offside flag.
The visitors finally did get the goal they deserved in the 56th minute when Harvey Knibbs latched onto a Jeriel Dorsett pass to slide the ball past Lukas Jensen in the Lincoln goal for the equaliser.
After that there looked to be only one winner as Reading, now four points from safety, pressed forward with Dorsett and Wing both coming close to snatching victory in the closing stages.
Striker Mark Harris put the U’s ahead in the 32nd minute with his 12th goal of the season, converting Cameron Brannagan’s cutback from close range after Tyler Burey’s right-wing cross opened the visitors’ defence.
Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan’s power brought the Royals level 14 minutes from time.
United could not deal with the substitute’s surging run along the left and centre-half Ciaron Brown turned Ehibhatiomhan’s cross into his own net.
This was Reading’s first ever league visit to the Kassam Stadium and the sell-out crowd created a cracking atmosphere.
Royals had the game’s first effort, Lewis Wing shooting wide on 20 minutes after a one-two with Harvey Knibbs.
At the other end, David Button saved Marcus McGuane’s deflected effort and a fierce drive from Ruben Rodrigues late on.
The point stretches Reading’s recent run to just one defeat in 10 games, but two home draws in a week is a blow to Oxford’s play-off prospects.
Saturday’s Sky Bet League One match against Port Vale was abandoned after approximately 1,000 home supporters invaded the pitch in what one fan group have promised is the start of protests against owner Dai Yongge.
The club have been hit with a series of points deductions and financial penalties under the Chinese businessman’s stewardship and following Championship relegation after being docked six points they are 21st in League One having been stripped of four this season.
“Football belongs to the fans, but it shouldn’t be down to them to take action,” said Couper, whose organisation work to find long-term solutions to issues like protecting the heritage of clubs.
“Reading FC fans have, for years, paid the price of mismanagement of the club. The mismanagement has now put the club’s future at severe risk.
“The independent regulator must have strong powers for intervention before any club reaches this stage, and the forthcoming bill must also include a fit for purpose and stringent owners’ and directors’ tests.”
Femi Azeez was the star man for Ruben Selles’ strugglers as he laid on Sam Smith’s first equaliser and then struck the second himself late on.
League One top scorers Posh hit the front six minutes before half-time when Josh Knight claimed his first goal of the campaign by heading in a Joel Randall corner.
Posh had two big penalty appeals ignored by referee David Rock in the first half and then saw a second goal from Hector Kyprianou disallowed for offside just before the hour.
There was soon further dismay for the home side as Reading levelled when substitute Smith squeezed the ball in off the post after being picked out by Azeez’s 63rd-minute cutback.
Only the frame of the goal prevented the Royals from completing a rapid turnaround as Azeez thundered a long-range blast against a post moments later.
Posh regained the initiative as leading scorer Ephron Mason-Clark rifled a low shot past David Button after Harrison Burrows laid the ball perfectly into his path in the 69th minute.
But it was not enough to secure success as Reading refused to roll over – and they got their reward in the 85th minute when Azeez fired home on the half-volley after Harvey Knibbs steered a Clinton Mola cross to him.
The home supporters were protesting against the club ownership of Dai Yongge and the match was halted after 16 minutes of play, with around 40 of the fans still refusing to leave the pitch some 45 minutes later.
In the gathering gloom, with most of the floodlights switched off, those supporters still stood in the centre circle surrounded by stewards before the announcement to call the game off was made at 4.25pm.
The game was held up earlier for three minutes – before the pitch invasion – when tennis balls were thrown on to the playing surface at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Referee Ross Joyce took the players into the dressing rooms, while the supporters milled around the pitch, some letting off blue flares.
After approaching the Vale fans, some of whom applauded them, most of the home fans started to head back to the stands.
But many of them then returned and staged a sit-in in the centre circle.
A statement posted on Reading’s X, formerly Twitter, account, read: “We are fully aware of and understand our supporters’ frustrations, but we must reiterate to our supporters that entering or throwing items on to the pitch can put the fixture at risk of abandonment and can result in personal consequences including banning orders.
“Thank you for your support today.”
As Reading fans continued to stay on the pitch, the club made two announcements over the PA system.
They stated that once the fans had returned to the stands, the game could resume.
As the supporters remained on the pitch, stewards guarded both goalmouths.
The Port Vale fans began to grow tired of the protests, chanting they had “made their point” and should leave the pitch.
A further announcement over the PA system said that, unless the pitch was cleared, the match would be abandoned. It added that it would go “along with the consequences” of a possible points deductions.
As the game continued to be held up, reaching the half-hour mark, some Reading fans who had remained in the stands began to boo those on the pitch, while Vale fans began to chant “we want our money back”.
There remained a tight cordon of stewards around the entrance to the players’ tunnel, with the players having remained in the dressing rooms throughout.
As around 300 Reading fans remained on the pitch, at 3.56pm officials from both clubs were in contact with the EFL fixtures management team to discuss “the best course of action”.
Twenty minutes later, Port Vale manager Andy Crosby walked along the touchline to speak to the Vale fans. He spoke only briefly, before walking back to the dressing room, but many Vale supporters then started to leave the stadium.
Moments later the announcement for the match to be postponed was made.
They were protesting against the club ownership of Dai Yongge and the game had already been held up earlier for three minutes when tennis balls were thrown on to the playing surface at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Referee Ross Joyce took the players into the dressing rooms, while the supporters milled around the pitch, some letting off blue flares.
After approaching the Vale fans, some of whom applauded them, most of the home fans started to leave the pitch.
But many of them then returned and staged a sit-in in the centre circle.
A statement posted on Reading’s X, formerly Twitter, account, read: “We are fully aware of and understand our supporters’ frustrations, but we must reiterate to our supporters that entering or throwing items on to the pitch can put the fixture at risk of abandonment and can result in personal consequences including banning orders.
“Thank you for your support today.”
As Reading fans continued to stay on the pitch, the club made two announcements over the PA system.
They stated that once the fans had returned to the stands, the game could resume.
As the supporters remained on the pitch, stewards guarded both goalmouths.
The Port Vale fans began to grow tired of the protests, chanting they had “made their point” and should leave the pitch.
A further announcement over the PA system said that, unless the pitch was cleared, the match would be abandoned.
It added that it would go “along with the consequences” of a possible points deductions.
Exeter dominated the first half, with Dion Rankine firing into the side netting early on and Tom Carroll shooting narrowly wide.
Zak Jules, Demetri Mitchell and Carroll all went close for sprightly Exeter, who almost led when Jack Aitchison struck the post after good work by debutant Ilmari Niskanen before Ryan Trevitt was denied by a superb save by David Button.
The goal Exeter deserved duly arrived from captain Will Aimson, who deftly headed Carroll’s cross into the net after 34 minutes.
Reading grabbed an equaliser against the run of play deep into first-half stoppage time when Harvey Knibbs took advantage of Pierce Sweeney’s unfortunate slip to level things up.
Reading were much improved after the break and almost when in front but Femi Azeri struck the post and then missed a great chance moments later by dragging his shot wide of the post.
Both sides pushed for the winner and it came in the 93rd minute as substitute Cole lashed the ball in from 20 yards from Sam Nombe’s knock-down.
Centre-back Poole only scored four goals in 130 appearances during his two-and-a-half years at the LNER Stadium, but he completed Pompey’s comeback with a fine header.
The Imps took the lead in the fifth minute in freak circumstances as Conor Shaughnessy hit the ball into Hakeeb Adelakun’s standing foot and it looped into the goal. It was the striker’s first goal on his first league start of the season.
But Portsmouth were level within three minutes as Abu Kamara collected a poor defensive header from Lasse Sorensen and passed to Alex Robertson, who laid the ball on to Paddy Lane to finish.
Poole met Jack Sparkes’ perfect cross to put Pompey ahead in first-half stoppage time to score for the second home match running.
Paudie O’Connor almost stole a point for Lincoln at the death, but Will Norris pulled off a point-blank save as Pompey remained unbeaten in the league this season.
Dixon is now Nathan Jones' eighth summer signing and will wear the number 13 jersey at the London-based club, much like he did at Clarendon College.
The talented winger, who was instrumental in Clarendon College’s two titles in last season’s ISSA schoolboys’ football competition, scoring 32 goals complemented by 17 assists, continued to make a name for himself with Jamaica Premier League (JPL) club Arnett Gardens before eventually breaking into the senior Reggae Boyz setup.
Dixon, 19, was first identified by Charlton Athletic through their partner, Mount Pleasant Football Academy, after which his move from Arnett Gardens, for an undisclosed fee, was then assisted by Charlton Athletic’s strong ties to the Reggae Boyz, according to a release on the club’s website.
This, as Dixon’s Reggae Boy teammate Karoy Anderson is a current member of the club, while another Reggae Boy, Michael Hector, recently left after his contract expired.
Dixon, who has two goals in eight appearances for the Reggae Boyz, expressed delight at his move.
“I’m very happy to be here. My first opportunity to go professional is to be at the Addicks. It’s been very good to see Karoy [Anderson], another teammate from my country. I can’t wait to start playing with him,” he said.
Charlton Athletic have won both League One games played so far this season against Wigan Athletic and Leyton Orient and sit fourth in the table.
They host Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, where Dixon could possibly make a debut appearance.
Williams, a lifelong fan of the League One side, was said to be considering a Wrexham-style takeover at Vale Park.
The 49-year-old former Take That star, whose solo hits include Angels, Let Me Entertain You and Come Undone, became the club’s president at the weekend and opened a new suite named after him.
But Vale, owned by businesswoman Carol Shanahan, say there are no plans in the pipeline for Williams to buy the club.
A Vale statement read: “We are aware of the ‘exclusive’ news that appeared in several national news outlets overnight and want to clarify the following:
“Robbie Williams has not made a bid to purchase Port Vale Football Club and there have been no conversations regarding that happening.
“Robbie and his team attended the match this past weekend, where he became club president and opened the suite that is now named after him.
“There are a number of positive club projects that both Carol and Robbie are exploring with the intention of anything delivered being in the best interests of Port Vale Football Club.
“As owners of the club, the Shanahan family remain fully committed to Port Vale FC.”
Vale are currently 20th in League One and lost 1-0 to Portsmouth on Saturday.
The Os jumped to 10th in League One with victory at Brunton Park courtesy of Ruel Sotiriou’s 21st-minute goal from Joe Pigott’s assist.
“The players are growing in confidence at this level,” said Wellens, whose side began life in the third tier with defeats to Charlton, Portsmouth and Wycombe.
“We played Charlton away in front of 20,000, who are a big club at this level, but it was a 50-50 game that went against us,” he explained.
“We lost a tough game at home to Portsmouth, who are running away with the division.
“And we played Wycombe away, battered them but had a man sent off after 50 minutes and lost 3-2.
“So, I am pleased with our last nine games because our points return has been promotion form.
“We have got 17 points and it could have been 20 from 10 games with the (abandoned) game at Lincoln.
“But I am not even going to look at the table because it is forever changing. However, I do think in the next six or seven games it will take more shape.”
Orient could have been out of sight by half-time, with Idris El Mizouni hitting the crossbar and Blues keeper Tomas Holy denying Dan Happe and Sotiriou.
In the end though, Carlisle might have claimed a late point as substitute Terry Ablade struck a post.
“We should probably easily have been two or three up,” said Wellens. “In the end the game became about long balls, set-plays conceding free-kicks.
“Carlisle turned it into the game they wanted. But it is a good win because it is a tough place to come and they are a tough team to play against.”
The Cumbrians were a shadow of the side that stunned Bolton the previous weekend. And last season’s play-off winners sit one place and three points above the drop zone.
“We can’t go into any game in this league, or any league, starting like we did,” said manager Paul Simpson.
“We have gone from such a level last week and had an opportunity to repeat that level of performance in front of our own supporters and we let ourselves down.
“That is the big disappointment because second half we had a go and were more positive in our passing and running.
“It shows there is a level of inconsistency in the group. That’s not me being brutal; it’s me being honest.
“We had a level of consistency last season that was good enough to get us into the play-offs. We have now stepped up and we haven’t got that level of consistency.”
Orient recorded their third league win of the season to leapfrog their opponents and move into 15th place in League One thanks to a fourth goal of the season from striker Ruel Sotiriou.
The visitors had made the early running with O’s goalkeeper Sol Brynn producing an outstanding save to deny Max Mata.
But Sotiriou broke the deadlock after 20 minutes with a powerful strike into the roof of the net that was to prove the defining moment of the match.
Wellens said: “There has been times this year when we have been really good and things haven’t gone our way but today we had to really fight and scrap for that win.
“At the end of the game, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“We have to give Shrewsbury some credit because whilst we started on the back foot, they started really, really well.
“Maybe a draw was a fair result or maybe we could have taken the chances at the end but we could have been 2-0 down.
“We had a bit of luck with the goal but credit to Ruel Sotiriou because he was in the right place at the right time. We were nowhere near as smooth or as cohesive as we wanted to be.
“But we had a good save from our goalkeeper which is what he’s there for and we won a lot of the first contacts and second balls.
“Overall, it’s a good win.”
Shrews manager Matt Taylor admitted his side’s profligacy in front of goal proved costly.
He said: “It’s very frustrating to go home empty-handed to be polite about it.
“What I think we did was to dominate a game of football where we created some very good opportunities which we have to take.
“We didn’t and when you do that you run the risk but we didn’t take our chances. If you look at the first 20 minutes in isolation, we should score three goals and I think they were big chances.
“The opposition got lucky for their goal with a bounce which went through and they score with the only shot on target they created but that’s the way it’s going for us at the moment.
“I can’t knock the performance overall, though. I don’t have anything negative to say about that. We were excellent to a man.
“Our application and our commitment was there but we can’t go away and create the chances we did and not take them.”
Posh’s first clear-cut chance came after the 20-minute mark through Jones, who was one-on-one with Marko Marosi but scuffed his effort way wide.
Jones was in the thick of the action once again minutes later. The forward got in behind the Shrews defence but fired his effort just over.
Just before the hour mark, Shrewsbury pulled ahead after some neat football found Jordan Shipley out wide.
The versatile left wing-back’s cross-cum-shot rippled into the back of the net at the far post.
Posh pulled level minutes later after Kyprianou slipped a through ball into Jones. The attacker unleashed a first-time shot from close range to find the bottom corner.
The away side were in the ascendency and found the winner with just under 15 minutes remaining.
Substitute David Ajiboye drilled a low ball into the danger zone and Kyprianou bundled home at the near post to grab a goal and assist.
Fine finishes from Luther Wildin and Ben Thompson gave Boro a 2-0 lead before Joel Randall reduced the deficit with an outrageous backheel shortly after half-time.
As the game was slipping away from Posh, Jones bundled the ball home from close range to rescue a point for the visitors.
Kwame Poku’s header was well saved by Taye Ashby-Hammond as Peterborough controlled the early stages.
However, Wildin broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute with a thunderous half-volley into the top-right corner of Nicholas Bilokapic’s goal.
And it was 2-0 eight minutes later when Thompson’s delicious strike rifled into the top-left corner.
Jones thought he had cut the deficit after directing a corner goalwards, but his effort rebounded off the post.
Peterborough struck back in style when Randall turned Harrison Burrows’ cross into the bottom-right corner with an audacious little flick.
And just as the game seemed to be slipping away from the visitors, Jones got the final touch after a melee in the box involving Ronnie Edwards to salvage a draw.
Both teams had a player sent off, with Street shown a straight red during first-half stoppage time and Ruben Rodrigues dismissed for a second caution after 68 minutes for the visitors.
Second-bottom Cheltenham started strongly, with Street seeing a shot blocked in the opening seconds and Aidan Keena denied by James Beadle’s flying save.
Oxford then threatened, with Goodwin and Curtis Davies kicking efforts away inside the box.
But Cheltenham broke through in the 34th minute when Liam Sercombe’s corner was cleared to Street, who smashed a sweetly-struck effort through a crowd of bodies from 20 yards.
Street then saw red for catching Stephan Negru with an elbow and – with the final touch of the half – Sercombe missed a golden chance to double their lead with the goal gaping.
Rodrigues spurned a similar chance for Oxford seven minutes after the break and Luke Southwood saved well to deny Ciaron Brown before Rodrigues was given his marching orders after a foul on Ben Williams.
Cheltenham made sure of the points when George Lloyd set up Goodwin for his third of the season, spoiling Des Buckingham’s first game in charge of the U’s, who dropped down a place to third as a result.
The Robins had gone 11 games without finding the net, but Street struck in the 39th minute, touching in Will Goodwin’s low ball into the middle for his first goal for the club.
Street’s strike ensured Cheltenham avoided becoming the first team in EFL history to fail to score for 12 matches in a row.
Derby responded deep into first half stoppage time when Tom Barkhuizen’s corner was met by James Collins, who was denied by Luke Southwood’s superb save.
But Curtis Nelson followed up to make it 1-1 in the seventh minute of added time.
Derby had looked the most likely to score early, with Eiran Cashin’s effort cleared off the line by Goodwin.
Will Ferry and James Olayinka both shot wide for Cheltenham from outside the box.
Lewis Freestone denied Martyn Waghorn with a block in the 55th minute and Max Bird was close to winning it for the Rams.
Southwood saved brilliantly from Collins in the 80th minute to ensure Cheltenham picked up their first home point of the campaign.
Bosun Lawal gave Town the lead with a low drive after only 65 seconds but the hosts equalised 11 minutes after the break through Dom Ballard.
Charlie Savage almost put Reading 2-1 in front when his rasping effort cannoned off a post but Fleetwood skipper Josh Vela struck in the second minute of stoppage time to secure victory.
Selles said: “Can I turn this around? Of course. I am confident I can do this.
“At the end of the day some of the situations are about putting the ball in the net.
“We have been talking and talking about this. We just have to be more ruthless. It’s all about us being together and making it better.
“It’s about everything. It’s about the structure when we want the ball, it’s about what kind of passing we want to do and when to do it.
“We understood the game in the way we had planned but then we were weak in our approach and we conceded a very early goal. This is a situation we need to solve.
“We got back in the game and their keeper [Jay Lynch] made a couple of saves. But we scored the equaliser and we could have scored a second goal.
“Then that [Vela’s goal] happened at the end, something that has happened to us before.
“The whole situation in the first 30 minutes put the pressure on us and we did not react in the proper way.”
Fleetwood claimed their third win in five league matches.
Manager Lee Johnson said: “It was a great goal from Bosun, I would have liked to have scored that myself.
“I’m sure it was his first goal and I’m so pleased for him because what a fantastic lad he is.
“I think the three points were deserved because we should have been out of sight at half-time, two or three up.
“You could see the relief at the end when Josh scored, with the subs running up the touchline. I liked that.
“That’s why we are in the game – for the fans travelling down here – and that’s why we are up all hours every day to try to find solutions.
“We are a good side with good players and the lads need to believe that.
“I thought it was a really good game, a good advert for League One, and it didn’t look like a relegation dogfight.”
The Trotters took the lead through top-scorer Dion Charles in the 20th minute, straight after the game had resumed after a three-minute break.
The delay had been caused by home fans throwing tennis balls on to the pitch in protest at the running of the club by Chinese owner Dai Yongge and the subsequent three-point English Football League deduction in midweek.
Reading dominated much of the game and were rewarded towards the end, when Charlie Savage levelled and substitute Caylon Vickers snatched the late winner.
Wanderers also had defender Eoin Toal sent off for a second yellow card.
“I’m really proud of the players,” Selles said.
“They have showed me that not only as footballers but also throughout the entire week. They have just focused on this game and on the things that we can affect. It is important to get the win and also the way we do it.
“The whole squad has all committed to our task and, for me, it was as much about the victory as the team spirit today.
“There is a big feeling of togetherness in the dressing room. That’s why we can get through everything that is put in front of us. Every time they step on the pitch, they want to make a difference.”
Of the fans’ actions and Charles’ immediate strike afterwards, Selles said: “We knew that the protest was coming. I don’t want to make excuses for it (the goal).
“It was more a disconnection from us, we’d had problems in that area before. But the fans have been supporting the team and me personally in every sort of situation that we have been in.”
Bolton dropped from second place to seventh after the defeat.
“I’m absolutely baffled as to how we ended up losing the game,” manager Ian Evatt said.
“We had so many critical chances and the game should have been out of sight for us at half-time.
“You can’t afford to miss those opportunities – one, maybe, but the two, three, four that we missed just isn’t OK.
“And away from home, if you don’t take those opportunities, you give the opposition a little bit of sugar and galvanise them and their crowd.
“Then you get a shot from distance (Savage’s goal) and that changes the entire momentum of the game.
“Then, we didn’t wrestle it back. We wobbled and we conceded a second. It’s absolutely crazy that we lose that game when we had created so many chances.
“We spoke about it in the week (Reading’s points deduction). When you get those, it creates a sort of siege mentality that they’re going to have.”
Harvey Knibbs gave Reading an early lead and, after Zak Jules had levelled for Exeter, City defender Alex Hartridge nodded into his own net to restore the home lead.
Dione Rankine made it 2-2 in the 68th minute but Femi Azeez rifled in what proved to be the winner nine minutes later to lift Reading out of the bottom four – above Exeter on goal difference – for the first time since September.
“It has been a long period [in the relegation zone] and there has been a lot of talk about us and around us,” Selles said.
“It took us time to find a way to compete and win football matches.
“It is just one small step today. It is more in the mind now and we know that the job is not done.
“We still know that we need to win a lot of football matches if we want to stay in this league for next season.
“At least with our situation, there is a little bit of fresh air now.
“We know that it wasn’t a perfect game from us today. We conceded a couple of goals and we should have done better in those situations.
“But we showed character and competitiveness and it was good to score three goals in front of our fans.
“I am very happy. The team is investing a lot and finally we are getting some results.”
Exeter have now slipped from top of the table in mid-September into the bottom four.
“I think that we gave away bad goals at bad times,” City manager Gary Caldwell said. “I don’t think that the overall performance was bad.
“But if you concede three goals away from home in the way we did, then you give yourselves a really difficult task to win the game.
“We scored two goals ourselves, which we’ve not done for a while, and that was pleasing. And we created other opportunities.
“But the goals that we gave away were really disappointing. It was just down to pure individual errors.
“Some of our play was very good but maybe we could have played longer in the game earlier when Reading were pressing.
“We didn’t recognise where the space was but, when we did, we caused them problems by playing in behind.
“Some of our possession was good but, when we lost the ball, we looked really poor defensively.
“Being in the relegation zone is not a thing that I’m overly concerned about. There’s a long way to go.”
