Reading lost their last home match before the World Cup break 2-1 to Preston North End.

After a 0-0 draw with Luton Town on Tuesday, and a controversial 2-1 defeat to Burnley on Saturday, the Royals were looking to record their first win in four and round off their pre-World Cup home form on a high.

Ched Evans netted twice in the second half, either side of a Lucas Joao penalty, to keep the pressure on the play-off pack.

Fresh off the back of a goalless draw in midweek, Reading fans who were hopeful of a goal-fest came to the wrong game. The first half started scrappily, with neither side enjoying long spells of possession and the ball regularly passed out of play under little pressure. Yakou Meite sent a header flying over the crossbar for the hosts’ first attempt while Andy Carroll tried his luck on the volley- to no avail.

The best chance in the opening quarter fell to Brad Potts, who was unable to sort out his feet and dispatch a Robbie Brady cross at the back post. The first shot on target belonged to the former Norwich City left-back, who hit a well-struck strike toward Joe Lumley’s near post from close-range, forcing a save but the referee blew before allowing the corner to take place.

Waiting 46 minutes for a shot on target in the first period, it took less than five minutes of the second when Tom McIntyre’s poor back pass was put out for a corner by Lumley and Evans flicked a header at the near post to send the Lancashire outfit into a lead.

Paul Ince was not happy with the performance and made a treble change, with all three making positive impacts in the following half hour. Joao headed over the bar after clever work on the left, but he would get his moment just minutes later when Andy Yiadom was taken out in the box and the referee awarded a penalty. The Angolan slammed the ball powerfully past Freddie Woodman and drew the sides level with 20 minutes remaining.

The Royals looked much improved and were pressing for a winner in the closing stages, but the visitors had a sting in their tail. After a quick counterattack down the right, Evans found himself on the corner of the box facing up McIntyre. Striking the ball hard and low, it took a slight nick but nestled in the far corner past Lumley to send the 500 travelling supporters into raptures behind the goal.

Knocking the stuffing out of Reading, they tried to rally but play-off chasing North End successfully broke the game up enough to see out the final 10 minutes in Berkshire. The nearest the hosts came to levelling for a second time was through Tom Ince, who struck a powerful drive from the edge of the box which narrowly fizzed wide of the upright.

With two games remaining before a three week break, Reading travel to Watford in midweek before a long trip to Humberside to face Hull City next Saturday- a ground they have never won at since it’s opening two decades ago.