Reading 2-3 Coventry City: Sky Blues comeback sinks 10-man Royals
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Dominic Hyam led the celebrations as Coventry condemned Reading to a fourth home league defeat in a row
Reading's winless run stretched to 11 games as Coventry came from behind to beat the 10-man Royals in the Championship.
Lucas Joao headed the hosts in front, with Sky Blues captain Dominic Hyam equalising from close range on the stroke of half-time.
Michael Rose then put Coventry ahead from a corner, only for Andy Yiadom to level through the same method before his team-mate Junior Hoilett was sent off.
Ian Maatsen's deflected effort sealed the away side's win - keeping Reading two points above the drop zone - with a group of home fans invading the pitch after full-time in a protest against the ownership of the club, who were celebrating 150 years since their first game.
Coventry looked the more confident side early on and could have taken the lead when Viktor Gyokeres' low shot across goal was pushed away by Reading keeper Karl Hein.
The Royals responded well when Tom Ince whipped in a dangerous cross from the right, but Junior Hoilett was unable to get the power he needed on a header.
Yet the home supporters could feel their team getting closer as Josh Laurent struck a 25-yard drive from midfield that went inches past the post, before the breakthrough came when Hoilett delivered a superb ball which the unmarked Joao headed home.
The hosts' hard work was undone right before the half-time whistle when a corner was cleared to Gustavo Hamer, who hit a hopeful volley which Hyam smartly poked in.
Reading fans protested before the match, while the club put on entertainment to mark their 150th anniversary
Just two minutes after the restart, Rose headed into the net from Hamer's corner, but the Sky Blues again showed their defensive vulnerabilities when Ince's corner was powered home by the head of Yiadom.
The game unravelled for Reading when Hoilett mistimed a tackle on Gyokeres on half-way and was shown a second yellow card. The Sweden striker found Maatsen a moment later, whose shot agonisingly looped in via a deflection.
With little to lose, Royals substitute Yakou Meite pressed forward, but Ince could only blaze over from his square pass as Coventry held on to move up one place to 12th in the table.
The result led some Reading supporters - who had staged a protest against the club's owners and boss Veljko Paunovic before the game - getting on to the pitch to try to confront the manager, who headed straight down the tunnel. The fans were quickly ushered away by stewards.
Reading manager Veljko Paunovic:
"The whole year has been difficult for the club. It has been very frustrating for the fans and we share that with them.
"Everyone has a right to express their opinion. We mustn't feel sorry for ourselves. We have to regroup and move forward.
"It was a very good first-half performance from us, the first time for a long time. I was just so upset that we conceded the equaliser just before half-time.
"We didn't start the second half well, we had to be alert and more focused. But we didn't keep the ball well enough."
Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:
"I think we ground it out. They are finding it really difficult in terms of the run that they are on.
"When you are coming up against a team like that, they are always dangerous.
"It's an emotional day for them, there was a bigger turnout because there was a demonstration. Their coach handles things with dignity.
"His team had a right go for him, they were on the front foot. We got three goals away from home, which is difficult to do, and we haven't done that very often."