Reading FC fell to their sixth consecutive Championship defeat as Bristol City held off a late Royals surge to emerge 2-1 victors. A dull first half ended with the hosts snatching the lead on the brink of the interval through Antoine Semenyo and Reading were given a mountain to climb seconds into the second half when a Michael Morrison own goal made it 2-0. Reading did put up a late fight, getting a goal back when John Swift struck from the penalty spot but ultimately it was too little too late. Veljko Paunovic reacted to the five successive January defeats with a number of big calls in his team selection for Wednesday night’s trip to Ashton Gate. Academy graduate Luke Southwood was left out in favour of Arsenal loanee Karl Hein while there was also a debut for deadline day signing Tom Ince. John Swift and Danny Drinkwater both dropped to the bench with Junior Hoilett and Tom Dele-Bashiru coming into the starting XI. Bristol City started with more of the ball but it was Reading who nearly found the breakthrough 13 minutes in. From a prolonged spell of City pressure, the Royals broke through Hoilett who fed Dele-Bashiru streaking up the middle but the Watford loanee’s shot was deflected just wide. From the ensuing corner, Michael Morrison fought his way past a defender to get his head on the delivery but it looped up and into the hands of City goalkeeper Max O’Leary. The hosts had their first shot of the evening in the 20th minute, Antoine Semenyo driving down the line before firing his effort wide of the target from a tight angle. Hein was forced into his maiden save of his Reading career with ten minutes to go in the first half, pushing away Jay Dasilva’s shot from the edge of the box. In a half devoid of quality and clear-cut chances, Dele-Bashiru saw a shot blocked before Bristol City took the lead in the final minute before the break. Cameron Pring played Andreas Weimann running through and when his first shot was saved, the Austrian reworked it to Semenyo who finished into the empty net. The hosts doubled their advantage moments after the restart, Semenyo and Pring once again heavily involved as the former found the latter to slide into the centre where Morrison could only deflect Alex Scott’s effort past Hein to make it 2-0. Semenyo, who caused Reading players from the opening whistle, nearly made it three in the 56th minute when he glided into the box, waltzed past a Royals defender before seeing his eventual effort blocked superbly by Baba Rahman. Dele-Bashiru then smashed a rare Reading chance high over the bar before being replaced by Swift as Paunovic and his side searched for a way back into the game. Bristol City went inches from putting the game to bed in the 64th minute when Semenyo took the ball down on his chest and fired against the base of the post. The Royals were handed a lifeline with just over 15 minutes to go when Tom Ince was bundled over in the box. Swift stepped up and made no mistake from 12 yards to halve the deficit. Shortly after, Andy Yiadom stopped Semenyo from regaining the two-goal cushion with a terrific last-ditch tackle just as the City attacker seemed to be running clear on goal. Sensing an opportunity, Reading piled on the pressure and twice nearly found the equaliser when Swift and Hoilett had shots blocked. Ince then went down under a heavy challenge but the referee waved away appeals for a second penalty. Reading continued pushing until the final moments when Swift had a shot deflected over, but Bristol City held on to condemn Paunovic’s side to yet another defeat. READING FC XI: Hein, Yiadom, Morrison, Holmes, Baba Rahman, Laurent, Rinomhota (Drinkwater 67’), Dele-Bashiru (Swift 60’), Hoilett, Ince, Joao