Royals boss Steve Coppell believes the multiball system employed by the Football League is open to abuse.

At the start of each season, Championship clubs are asked whether they will use the multiball system, and that decision must remain for the entire campaign.

But in two away games this season, Reading have been trailing to opposition and the system has seemingly changed with the game still underway.

The first time was in the infamous Watford game, when referee Stuart Attwell decided to use only one ball for the last 30 minutes or so after a series of incidents when two balls ended up on the pitch at once.

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At Preston on Saturday, with North End in the ascendancy, the Royals were left confused by the system - with no balls coming back onto the pitch at any great pace, Stephen Hunt even had to go up into the stand at one point to retrieve the ball when neither ballboy nor steward made an attempt to do so.

Coppell said, "We are just disappointed that the multiball seemed to disappear in the second half. The referee didn't order it and for Stephen Hunt to have to run into the crowd to retrieve the ball to take a corner....

"At the start of the game the referee tells us it's multiball - he can call it off, nobody else. And yet at a certain stage in the second half the multiball disappeared. I think the multiball is the best system myself - but it's open to abuse."

Stephen Hunt added, "The game was very frustrating, obviously for the result first and foremost. And when it was 2-1 the balls seemed to disappear.

"It didn't have anything to do with the result, it was just frustrating. They're an honest bunch here. I got into handbags at full time about it but it was nothing.

"Like I say it's no excuse for the result, it was just frustrating when you're trying to get the ball back."