Hughton Says Blues Will Bounce Back

Reading`s Noel Hunt scored the first championship goal against Birmingham for 501 minutes, it was also the goal that ended Blues run of six games without a defeat.

The match winning goal came 14 minutes from full time when Jobi McAnuff crossed and Hunt met the ball to score with his first touch of the game.

Earlier Birmingham's Boaz Myhill did well to tip over a header from Reading defender Kaspars Gorkss and then made an even better save when he pushed a fierce Joseph Mills drive just over the crossbar.

At the other end of the field Adam Federici was well tested by Chris Wood who saw the Reading keeper save all three of his efforts.

Blues manager Chris Hughton said 'I thought we looked the better side, particularly in first half when we were very bright against a good Reading team that have a good record here.

'You don't have your own way for 90 minutes at Reading and they probably edged it in the second half.

'I couldn't see us conceding but by our standards I think that when the goal came it was a poor one to concede.

'I thought it was one of those games where one goal could win it.

'It's impossible to sustain top form all season in this league but the important thing is to bounce back after a poor result.

'I don't think our Europa League game on Thursday had any effect on us. I thought we were still going strongly at the end."

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