Skipper Inigo Calderon grabbed a late equaliser as Albion produced a stirring comeback to draw 2-2 at home to Reading this afternoon.

The caretaker reign of Nathan Jones could not have got off to a worse start as the Seagulls fell behind after just 38 seconds.

It got worse in the first game since the resignation of Sami Hyypia on Monday when former Albion striker Glenn Murray scored his second of the match on 26 minutes.

But Jake Forster-Caskey levelled before half-time and Calderon capped a spirited second-half display for Jones’s men by levelling in the 90th.

It is still only one win in 19 Championship games for Albion and they have slipped to second from bottom following Wigan’s win at Leeds but they will take heart from the character showed to fight back from two goals down.

Jones made three changes for the game with Adrian Colunga, Elliott Bennett and Gary Gardner coming in for Solly March, Joao Teixeira and Bruno, who began a three-match suspension.

The match could not have got off to a worse start for Jones as Reading took the lead after just 38 seconds.

Hal Robson-Kanu delivered a low cross from the left which Simon Cox touched on and Murray fired home at the second attempt at the far post.

On nine minutes Albion survived a penalty appeal when Cox went down a little softly after clashing with Lewis Dunk.

Murray was denied a second after Calderon moved quickly to close down his shot at the expense of a corner on 15 minutes, then David Stockdale was at full strength to tip away a header from Jake Taylor.

Albion had a penalty appeal of their own on 19 minutes when Danny Holla went down under challenge from Jordan Obita but referee Graham Salisbury was not interested.

It became 2-0 on 26 minutes when Oliver Norwood whipped in a free-kick from the right which Murray headed home via a deflection off Gardner.

The afternoon got worse for Albion when Darren Bent limped off with an apparent groin injury moments later but his replacement, Craig Mackail-Smith, seemed to lift spirits around the stadium.

Albion got themselves back in the game five minutes before the break via a long throw from Greg Halford which Dunk flicked on and Forster-Caskey touched home at the far post.

Reading – or more precisely Murray – threatened the restore their two-goal advantage instantly with a shot which Stockdale beat away.

The half ended with Albion almost drawing level via another Halford long throw which Dunk again helped on and Adrian Colunga met with a swivelling volley which hit the far post and bounced away.

Albion carried the momentum into the second half and on 53 minutes Halford’s raking pass picked out Mackail-Smith whose shot was touched into the side-netting by Adam Federici.

The resulting corner was cleared only as far as Holla whose ferocious strike was beaten away by the Royals keeper.

Now it was all Albion and Joe Bennett’s shot, after being fed by Forster-Caskey, was pushed over by Federici on 55 minutes.

The Royals keeper was much the busier and he pulled off another fine save on 63 minutes to keep out a header from Solly March, who had just replaced Elliott Bennett.

In a final push for an equaliser, the Seagulls threw centre-back Halford up front for the last few minutes and they got their reward when Calderon struck as the clock struck 90 minutes.

Albion: Stockdale; Calderon, Halford, Dunk, J.Bennett; Holla (sub McCourt 76); Gardner, Forster-Caskey; E.Bennett (sub March 62), Bent (sub Mackail-Smith 30), Colunga. Subs not used: Hughes, Chicksen, Ince, McCourt, Walton.

Reading: Federici; Gunter, Hector, Pearce, Obita; Norwood, Williams, Taylor (sub Cummings 58), Robson-Kanu (sub Kelly 81); Cox, Murray (sub Blackman 58). Subs not used: Cooper, Kuhl, Tanner, Andersen.

Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire).