Four goals in five games may have continued Nelson Oliveira's rapid improvement at Norwich City but the striker knows defensive errors must be eradicated for his good work to be worthwhile.

The 25-year-old now has five goals in his last eight first-team games and eight in 13 if Checkatrade Trophy games for City's under-23s are included.

His celebrations after scoring an emphatic equaliser at Reading on Boxing Day further strengthened his growing rapport with the Canaries faithful – only to be substituted 10 minutes later. That decision prompted an angry response from the 1,500 travelling fans as Alex Neil's team went on to lose 3-1 and to their eighth defeat in 10 matches.

'It's tough because we started the second half really well,' Oliveira said. 'We should win the game I think, we played better than them but we concede two set-piece goals and it's hard, it's a bad feeling.'

Oliveira was among the players who could take some of the blame for failing to defend the free-kick which saw the hosts take the lead.

He could do nothing about the poor defending which led to Jonny Howson's red card and the penalty which saw the Royals reclaim the lead though and admitted the Canaries dressing room was not a happy place at full-time.

'We speak after the game but it's for us, it's not for speaking here (in public),' he added. 'I think we need to do better we need to start winning games because it's not good losing games like that, we play well but every game something happens, like a penalty or a mistake and when it is like that it is hard to take points.'