Reading manager Ruben Selles believes he can turn around his team’s desperate League One fortunes after the 2-1 defeat at home to fellow strugglers Fleetwood – their fifth loss in six matches.
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.”