Reading 0
Blackburn Rovers 0
Steve Coppell's Royals have taken a point from their clash with Blackburn Rovers this afternoon, despite being down to ten men for the final stages.
The game came alive after Marek Matejovsky's dismissal, with Hahnemann forced into great saves from Santa Cruz and Khizanishvili and Andre Bikey's header cleared off the line late on.
Read the full minute-by-minute clockwatch below.
Reading: Hahnemann; Rosenior, Shorey, Bikey, Ingimarsson (c); Harper, Matejovsky, Oster (Long 77), Hunt; Doyle, Kitson (Cisse 77)
Subs: Federici, Duberry, Convey.
Yellow: Hahnemann, Matejovsky, Shorey.
Red: Matejovsky
Blackburn Rovers: Friedel; Ooijer (McCarthy 82), Warnock, Nelsen (c), Khizanishvili; Dunn (Derbyshire 86), Reid, Bentley, Gamst Pedersen; Roberts, Santa Cruz
Subs: Brown, Mokoena, Vogel.
Yellow: Nelsen, Warnock, Roberts, Reid.
Referee: M Clattenburg
Att: 23,374
Live updates
2:05pm - The teams are in and Reading are unchanged from the side that beat Birmingham last week. On the bench, the injured Jimmy Kebe makes way for Bobby Convey though and Michael Duberry replaces Ibrahima Sonko as centre-back cover.
2:10pm - Roque Santa Cruz is passed fit for the visitors, and lines up alongside Jason Roberts up front. Benni McCarthy is on the bench, as is Johann Vogel after getting his international clearance through earlier this week.
2:20pm - Our official teamsheet is online here now - click here to take a look.
2:49pm - The masterblaster gun is out and firing scarves into the stands. U2 is pumping out of the speakers and the atmosphere is builiding.
2:52pm - Marcus Hahnemann is the last to trot back down the tunnel and we are all set for the start of another crucial game.
2:58pm - The two teams are out and all the fans are in their seats. Ryan Nelsen is back from injury to shake hands with Ivar Ingimarsson in the middle and complete the coin toss.
3 mins - Morten Gamst Pederseon earns a bit of space down the left. He crosses but Hahnemann is out well to intercept on the edge of his six yard box.
6 mins - Doyle earns some room and crosses from the left but it's flicked away from Kitson at the far post. He lays it back for Oster, who cleverly touches it inside his man to cross low from the right side of the box. Friedel and a defender come together to intercept it but it squirms free and Hunt flies in onto the loose ball at the near post only to see his effort bobble wide of the woodwork. Good from Reading.
10 mins - A cross to the far post find Pedersen who nods it back across the face of goal to Roberts. He tries to impart some power into his header but it bounces up off Ingimarsson's head and into Hahnemann's palms.
15 mins - Oster wins a throw and takes it himself into Doyle. Khizanishvili beats him to it on the edge of the area but seems to control it with his left arm. Nothing given.
16 mins - Rosenior swings it out to Hunt on the left flank who nods it deftly into Kitson. He shields the ball and then touches it into Hunt's path, but the Irishman's first touch is too strong and he can't cut it into the box before the ball has crossed the byline.
18 mins - Derby are beating Fulham but Bolton are leading against Arsenal. Not good for Reading.
19 mins - Bentley escapes Hunt's attentions to get the ball back from Santa Cruz on the right. He chips a cross in but Bikey is there to head it half clear and Oster completes the clearance.
26 mins - Doyle wins a header and then wins a second to nod it ahead of Nelsen. Nelsen cynically pulls him back on the right side and concedes a free kick. He should be booked but receives just a talking to. Shorey's delivery is headed clear and Oster's attempt to redeliver is sliced out for a goal kick.
29 mins - Hunt wins it out on the left and wins a free kick. He takes it quickly to Matejovsky who feeds Doyle on the wing. His cut back is deflected behind. The inswinging corner is arrowed out to Harper 16 yards out and his header towards the far post is punched away by Friedel.
37 mins - Matejovsky ends a great solo run from Jason Roberts by fouling the striker 30 yards out. Pederson lets rip from the set piece and Hahnemann has to be alert to tip his well struck effort over the bar.
38 mins - From the corner Hahnemann claims and looks to distribute quickly. Nelsen runs into him to knock the ball out of his hands and Reading have a free kick. Hahnemann panics and makes an ungainly tackle on Nelsen, but the whistle has already gone. Both are booked.
42 mins - Birmingham now have the lead at home to Manchester City and Arsenal are down to ten at Bolton. Other results are going horribly against us.
45 mins - Matejovsky picks a sublime pass out to set Kitson in. It's a race between Kitson and Friedel for the first touch. Friedel gets it but that could have been a great chance.
HALF TIME - The game is yet to come alive really and it's a bit srappy. Results elsewhere mean Reading really need a result again.
3:50pm - Fast intakes of breath around the stadium greet the half time score at the Reebok. Loyal Royals were clearly hoping for a Gunners win but it doesn't look likely now.
46 mins - A half time downpour has made the surface a little more slippery as Reading kick off the second half.
50 mins - Reading break through Harper after Kitson is fouled by Warnock. He doesn't see Hunt to his right and opts for a pass left instead but Blackbur snuff out the danger.
53 mins - Bizarrely the referee gives Reading a free kick, I'm guessing for Blackburn taking their's too early. Doyle gets it and runs at the defence. He touches it right to Hunt, who crosses to the far post. Oster is there and he cushions it back to Matjovsky who drives first time at goal. It is charged down and Rovers clear.
56 mins - Matejovsky's left-sided cross is deflected towards Doyle on the edge of the six yard box. The striker has to try hard to get any power on it and it sails over the bar.
59 mins - Matejovsky lays it off to Rosenior on the right. He swings in a cross deep towards the far post where Hunt beats Bentley to the ball and he volleys it over the bar. A half chance there.
62 mins - The ball bounces clear to Bentley at the other end and he chests it down and volleys at goal from 22 yards out. Hahnemann has to arch his back to tip it over. Good save.
64 mins - Bikey fouls and Blackburn swing the ball into the box. Ingimarsson and Santa Cruz battle for the touch in the air and it flies behind for a goal kick.
65 mins - Oster crosses it in from the right and Kitson wins a header at the far post. It drops to Hunt, who stabs it goalwards but it bobbles wide of the far post.
68 mins - Doyle is played in by Matejovsky on the right. He searches for a cross but it is deflected behind for a corner. The corner is headed half clear and Matejovsky winds up to volley the dropping ball but he doesn't connect cleanly and it skews wide of the far post.
71 mins - Blackburn break and Dunn plays a well-weighted direct ball forward that has Santa Cruz nipping in ahead of Bikey. Hahnemann comes to narrow the angle and Santa Cruz touches it wide of the left post.
72 mins - RED CARD! Matejovsky trips Roberts on half way to stem a Rovers break and the Czech is shown a second yellow card and sent off. It looked a little harsh. He hasn't deserved a red card.
75 mins - Hunt fouls and Rovers have a free kick in a dangerous position on the right. They swing it in and Reading try the charge to catch Rovers offside. No flag is shown though and Khizanishvili has a free header six yards out. Hahnemann makes a brilliant save! Two or three looked offside there! The fans aren't happy.
77 mins - Double Reading substitution. Kitson and Oster are replaced by Long and Cisse.
81 mins - Hunt wins a free kick but Rovers clear. Rosenior mops up at the back to halt a Blackburn break.
82 mins - Blackburn substitution. McCarthy is on for Ooijer. Blackburn are going for it.
84 mins - Long uses his pace to get into the box. He checks his run to pick out the perfect cross to Hunt all alone in the middle. He misses his kick though and a wonderful chance is squandered as it skids wide. Everyone has their heads in their hands.
85 mins - Long wins another free kick on the right. Shorey swings in a great cross and Bikey wins the header, it hits Doyle and is cleared instinctively off the line by a Rovers man. Cisse tries an overhead hook but he doesn't connect cleanly and Blackburn escape.
86 mins - Rovers substitution. Dunn off for Derbyshire. Blackburn have all four strikers on now.
88 mins - Rovers deliver a free kick into the box and Bikey only manages to flick it on to Santa Cruz at the far post. He gets a touch but Hahnemann saves it low at his far post. He srcrambles it out for a corner which Hahnemann claims.
90 mins - Three minutes of injury time to play.
FULL TIME - The Royals have managed a point with ten men. Now we wait for the other results to see how good or bad that point is for Steve Coppell's side.
Birmingham have won, Sunderland seem to have stolen the points with an injury time goal against West Ham, but Bolton have squandered a two goal lead at home to ten men Arsenal. Arsenal have won it at the Reebok so Reading edge a point closer to safety in the end.
