Albion’s away day blues continued as they went down 2-1 to Reading at the Madejski Stadium.

This was a fifth away game on the trot without a win for the Seagulls who remain 19th in the table, nine points clear of the relegation zone.

They did manage to score on the road for the first time in five matches, courtesy of Chris O’Grady’s first league goal for the club from the penalty.

But there was little else to cheer on a disappointing evening for the Seagulls.

Chris Hughton made five changes for the game including handing a full debut to Middlesbrough loanee Emmanuel Ledesma.

One of the returning players, Jake Forster-Caskey, made a significant contribution on seven minutes when he cleared Jake Cooper’s shot off the line.

Reading threatened again soon after when Hal Robson-Kanu burst through with a clear sight of goal but blazed high over the bar, then Albion had a good chance to break the deadlock but Greg Halford’s weak header from a Ledesma free-kick was simple for Federici.

It was the hosts who went ahead on 24 minutes thanks to a gift from Albion.

David Stockdale’s poor clearance went straight to the home side and Jamie Mackie burst forward, evaded Lewis Dunk and fired home for the Royals’ first goal at the Madejski Stadium for 344 minutes.

They should have had another two minutes later when Stockdale pushed out a cross but centre-back Michael Hector fired wastefully over the top.

It was a poor first half from Albion, who created nothing apart from Halford’s header.

They were handed a route back into the contest on 53 minutes when Cooper fouled Ledesma for a penalty which O’Grady coolly converted.

But the lead lasted just three minutes as Mackie cut in from the right and unleashed a shot from 25 yards into the far corner past a helpless Stockdale.

Stockdale redeemed himself for his first half mistake with a wonderful triple save during a mad scramble in Albion’s six-yard box to keep the score at 2-1.

Albion: Stockdale; Halford, Greer, Dunk, Bennett; Ince (sub Best 75); Ledesma (sub Bruno 81), Kayal, Forster-Caskey, LuaLua; O’Grady. Subs not used: Calderon, Bruno, Hughes, Holla, Teixeira, Ankergren.

Reading: Federici; Gunter, Hector, Cooper, Chaloba; McCleary, Williams (sub Keown 90), Akpan, Robson-Kanu (sub Pogrebnyak 76); Mackie (sub Norwood 79), Blackman. Subs not used: J.Taylor, Cox, Yakubu, Andersen.