Reading 0
Blackburn 0

Ten-man Reading drew 0-0 with Blackburn today in a game that either team could realistically have won.

Marek Matejovsky was sent off for two yellow cards with 18 minutes to go, and an otherwise drab affair exploded into life after that dismissal.

Moments after the card, Marcus Hahnemann denied a clearly offside Zurab Khizanishvili, and in the dying stages Stephen Hunt missed an absolute sitter when eight yards out and only the keeper to beat.

Neither team will really be completely happy with a point, but considering how results went at the foot of the table, it is by no means a disaster for the Royals.

The first half was a tepid affair, and Hunt had the only real moment in front of goal, unluckily stabbing wide from five yards as he closed in on John Oster's cross.

The only other real talking point was a moment of handbags between Hahnemann and Ryan Nelsen, and both were booked, with the Rovers skipper perhaps lucky to be on the pitch after somehow escaping a card for an earlier cynical pull on Kevin Doyle.

The start of the second period saw Reading up the tempo a little, and Hunt had a couple of half chances but both were miscued when falling to him on his right foot.

Matejovsky was then dismissed for a second yellow, and while both times he clearly caught his opponent, neither were bad fouls and it was perhaps a little harsh.

Then a minute later Khizanishvili was absolutely miles offside, but the linesman kept his flag down and Hahnemann saved very well, much to our relief.

Hunt should have won it for us but completely missed the ball from sub Shane Long's sidefooted pass and a great chance went begging.

Andre Bikey had a deflected header cleared off the line with just moments to go, and Hahnemann had to make another save from Roque Santa Cruz when Bikey misplaced a header inside his own box.

It was a strange game with a grandstand finish after 70 minutes of forgettable football. In the dying stages we were the more likely, but Rovers had plenty of chances, and with only ten men we can be happy with a point that edges us further away from the drop zone.

Reading: Hahnemann; Rosenior, Shorey; Bikey, Ingimarsson (C); Harper, Matejovsky, Oster (Cisse 76), Hunt; Doyle, Kitson (Long 76)
Subs: Federici, Duberry, Convey
Booked: Hahnemann (reaction 39), Matejovsky (foul 61), Shorey (dissent 77)
Sent off: Matejovsky (foul 72, second yellow)

Blackburn: Friedel; Ooijer (McCarthy 82), Warnock, Khizanishvili, Nelsen (c); Dunn (Derbyshire 86), Reid, Bentley, Pedersen, Roberts, Santa Cruz
Subs: Brown, Mokoena, Vogel
Booked: Nelsen (foul 39), Warnock (foul 49), Roberts (dissent 52), Reid (foul 58), Khizanishvili (foul 90)

Ref: M Clattenburg

Attendance: 23,374

First half
With five minutes on the clock Reading created a good chance when John Oster did very well to get past his man and get a cross in. Stephen Hunt tried to dart in on the loose ball, but it went inches wide.

Jason Roberts had half a chance with a header down the other end, and we had a vague handball shout inside the Rovers box, but it was all rather tame.

Rovers enjoyed far more possession, and whenever we got the ball we were rushing the pass and looking for a distance pass down the channel a little too often.

There was barely a shot of note, and Marcus Hahnemann comfortably tipped over Morten Gamst Pedersen's  free kick.

Just before the break there were handbags between Hahnemann and Ryan Nelsen, and both were booked. Rovers' skipper was perhaps lucky to still be on the pitch, having somehow escaped a card for a clear pull on Kevin Doyle earlier that was a stonewall yellow.

Second half
The Royals lifted the tempo at the start of the second half, and enjoyed a bit more pressure in patches.

Hunt had a couple of chances, but he volleyed a deep cross over, then stabbed wide from 12 yards. It was unfortunate both chances had come on his right foot.

David Bentley had a volley from 25 yards, but it was easily saved by Hahnemann, who touched over.

The game was opening up, and another half chance fell to Marek Matejovsky in the Rovers box, but his volley was well off target as hit struck a high ball.

Roque Santa Cruz stabbed narrowly wide from David Dunn's raking pass, and the match was springing into life.

If the game was starting to bubble up at that stage, it exploded when Matejovsky was sent off on 72 for a second yellow. Both offences had been fouls, no question about it, but on each occasion he was a little unlucky to get a card so the red was perhaps harsh.

Our home support directed further dismay towards the officials a minute later when Zurab Khizanishvili was incredibly not flagged offside when he and at least one more player were at least three yards offside from a free kick. The linesman's decision not to flag was remarkable to say the very least, and Nicky Shorey was booked for dissent but you had sympathy with our left back for his dismay.

Rovers went for the win, bringing on two more strikers, but it was Reading who defied the one-man deficit and created the best chances, sub Shane Long doing well.

Hunt missed what can only be described as an absolute sitter from eight yards out after brilliant work from Long. It was an absolutely massive chance, and the Irishman really, really, should have done better.

Andre Bikey then had a header from a corner, and it was deflected off Doyle but agonisingly cleared off the line.

BIkey's misplaced header then gave Santa Cruz another chance at the other end, but Hahnemann was out to block as hearts were very much in mouths.

A late Shorey free kick was overhit into the middle, and when the full time whistle went there were certainly mixed emotions. With ten men, a point is not bad at all, but considering Hunt's late chance, we could have taken all three.

Rovers had chances of their own, and they are a good side who could also have won the game.

With only six games left now, we edge further away from the drop zone, but there is no doubt the tension will remain between now and the end of the season.