Ipswich manager Paul Lambert at Reading Picture: Pagepix

IPSWICH Town manager Paul Lambert praised his side's "fantastic" first-half display in their 2-2 draw at Reading.

Town, still bottom of the Championship, went ahead in the fifth minute through Gwion Edwards.

Yakou Meite equalised two minutes later with a spectacular overhead kick but Ipswich soon regained their lead through Freddie Sears.

The visitors sat back after the interval, with Reading snatching a second leveller when Meite nodded in six minutes from time.

It was Lambert's second match in charge after the 1-1 home draw with Preston.

"I've managed some really good teams and players in my time in management and the first half was as good as I've seen," Lambert said.

"My God, we were fantastic.

"We looked great and we should have been three or four goals to the good.

"It never materialised but the strides we have made as a football team have been huge.

"I'm proud of them for the way they performed.

"They've given me everything in the time I've been here.

"We've got a good side that just needs a little bit of help.

"We're a club moving in the right way.

"In the second half, I thought we always looked dangerous on the counter.

"Reading are the home team so you aren't going to dominate the whole game.

"The home team had their little moments but I didn't think too many of them were threatening.

"We were quite comfortable but a bit sloppy on their second goal.

"The pass must have travelled 60 yards and we didn't deal with it.

"But the overall performance was incredibly high.

"I couldn't have asked for anything more.

"We've got a team now fighting and a crowd massively with them, so it's all looking positive.

"If we keep playing like that, 100 per cent we'll win games."

Reading moved out of the relegation places but manager Paul Clement was unhappy with his side's first-half performance.

"Based on the performances of the two teams, a point was perhaps a fair result," Clement said. But in the first half, we were bad - really, really bad."