Paul Heckingbottom has backed goalkeeper Adam Davies to end his run of mistakes but admits recalled reserve Nick Townsend is pushing the number one more than ever.

Davies was at fault, at least partly, for the opening goals in the recent home losses against Cardiff City and Leeds United as well as Reading's first two in Tuesday's 3-0 away defeat. Heckingbottom said: "Everyone has dips in form. Davo is one of our senior players at 25 and, when you've got a team that is so young, you know there will be mistakes and bad decisions. We have to manage that and push them through it. He can't hide away from it, he has to just work and trust himself and fall back on the past 18 months. If any player does come out of the team, he will have to learn from it."

Townsend, who has not played for the Reds in more than two years due to Davies starting the last 111 matches, has returned from a month-long loan at non-league Solihull Moors.Heckingbottom said: "We hope the loan spell has done him good. He wasn't pushing Davo enough last season. Davo had a bad spell last season but we didn't think Nick was ready to play. This time he is pushing a lot more."