Beaten FA Cup semi-finalists Reading lost again as they were defeated by Birmingham in a scrappy Sky Bet Championship game at the Madejski Stadium on Wednesday night . Although Reading dominated most of the match , they wasted several chances in the closing stages of the first half . Birmingham held firm and grabbed the winner seven minutes from the end , when Clayton Donaldson nodded in his 16th goal of the season . Clayton Donaldson ( left ) scored a late headed winner for Birmingham City as his side defeated Reading 1-0 . Donaldson , who signed from Brentford in the summer , scored his 16th goal of the season . READING : Federici , Gunter , Cooper , Hector , Ake , McCleary ( Appiah 63 ) , Karacan , Chalobah , Obita , Mackie ( Stacey 63 ) , Blackman ( Novakovich 81 ) Subs not used : Kelly , Norwood , Akpan , Andersen . Booked : Obita . BIRMINGHAM CITY : Randolph , Spector , Morrison , Kiernan , Caddis ( Dyer 62 ) , Tesche , Gleeson , Fabbrini ( Shinnie 34 ) , Grounds , Donaldson , Thomas ( Gray 77 ) Subs not used : Cotterill , Novak , Doyle , Davis . Referee : Lee Mason . Attendance : 14,604 . Reading were involved in a dramatic 2-1 defeat against Arsenal , after extra-time , in the last four of the Cup at Wembley on Saturday . Goalkeeper Adam Federici , whose fumble led to Alexis Sanchez 's winning goal , was retained against Birmingham - as were six of his fellow starters from Wembley . At least Reading had no pressure on them , the last lingering doubts of relegation having been removed when Millwall lost 2-0 at Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night . Birmingham had little to play for either , apart from trying to improve on a poor recent record of just two wins in eight league matches . A predictably dour opening , with neither side keen to force the pace , ended when Wes Thomas aimed at Federici . But it was a weak effort that did not trouble the Australian goalkeeper . Reading , with only two wins in 13 league games behind them and no wins in six , responded swiftly as the game warmed up . Garath McCleary , scorer of Reading 's equaliser against Arsenal , fired wide after a long pass from Jake Cooper . A Cooper header lacked the power to test Birmingham keeper Darren Randolph , Jamie Mackie shot wide after Jem Karacan had been blocked out , and Mackie and Nick Blackman had close-range efforts cleared to safety . Randolph made a flying save to keep out a fierce McCleary shot and the keeper also had to stop two decent long-range attempts from Nathaniel Chalobah . Reading fans showed their support for Adam Federci following his blunder at Wembley on Saturday . Donaldson goes one-on-one with Federici , who was hoping to make amends for his mistake against Arsenal . Birmingham threatened only rarely , Paul Caddis blazing over from a Diego Fabbrini cross , which Donaldson had missed , and Jonathan Grounds heading straight at Federici from a Caddis corner . Reading kept up the momentum after the interval but , as Birmingham defended stubbornly , the home side spoiled good approach work with poor final touches . Nathan Ake did manage to fashion a chance when wriggling clear of his markers but drove straight at Randolph . Reading lost their second game in as many matches as their poor Championship form continues . Birmingham continued to sit back , inviting the pressure . Jordan Obita missed with a powerful drive and then drilled over a low cross that no team-mate was able to reach . Andrew Shinnie was off target from distance but Reading regained the upper hand with efforts from Chalobah , a 20-yard shot saved by Randolph , substitute Jack Stacey and Ake . Birmingham rallied late on , with Federici having to make two smart saves to deny substitute Demarai Gray . And the visitors broke the deadlock in the 83rd minute . Stephen Gleeson delivered a corner from the left and Donaldson rose unchallenged to glance a header past the helpless Federici .
Reading are 18th in the Championship while Birmingham City sit in 15th . Clayton Donaldson 's 83rd minute header secured the eight points . The FA Cup semi-finalists dominated possession but were made to pay .