Reading’s caretaker manager Scott Marshall could not fault his side’s display despite dropping two points late on in their 1-1 draw at Rotherham.
Joe Mattock’s 90th minute effort earned Rotherham a point after their second half pressure finally paid off.
Reading deservedly led at the break through Sam Baldock’s early strike but could not cling on for a valuable win.
They produced some brave defending throughout with Tom McIntyre performing well on his first team debut.
Marshall said: “There is disappointment in the dressing room which is probably a good thing.
“Nobody likes to lose a goal late on but I was a little bit concerned that we were only one goal up at half time. We had enough chances to be really out of sight.
“At only one goal up, the last 10 minutes were going to be difficult because you knew the ball was coming into the box and they were going to throw bodies in there.
“It just takes a ball to drop in a certain area which is what happened. I am disappointed that that’s the way it turned out but chuffed that we had some good moments in the game.
“The pressure that Rotherham put on us, you could tell they have got a good spirit. We had to stand up to that for a good majority of the game.”
Marshall says he is going to prepare for Reading’s next game and is enjoying the caretaker role.
He added: “I am going to make the most of the situation that is there and try and get as much experience as I can for however long it takes.
“I am looking forward to the next game. I have enjoyed this week. The nerve jangling of first team football – I have enjoyed that.
“It’s good to see a dressing room focused and ready to work for each other. I have enjoyed being around that.”
Baldock gave Reading the lead in the ninth minute when he sprung the offside trap from Josh Sims’ pass and tucked the ball past goalkeeper Marek Rodak and into the bottom corner.
Rotherham battled hard for an equalier and it finally came late on with Mattock poking the ball in following Joe Newell’s corner.
Rotherham manager Paul Warne was not happy with his side’s first half display.
“It was a disappointing first half and it wasn’t like us,” he said.
“Without Marek we could have been out of the game.
“We had a conversation at half time. It just didn’t feel like it was working.
“I wasn’t happy with anyone in the first half. I don’t like taking people off at half time but we had to change something.
“I could have made 10 changes at half time.
“We needed to get the crowd on our side early on and we did not do that. It made it an edgy game.
“There was a real belief that we were going to get an equalising goal in the second.
“We could not have been as bad in the second half as in the first but I am pleased with a point.
“There was importance to this game because losing to them would have dragged us into a dogfight and would have given them a boost. But there are loads of games to go. If we fall into the bottom three or four we will have to fight our way out.
“The second half was us and in the last 15 minutes it was, apart from the odd Reading counter, us trying to get the goals.”
