Reading 1 (Karacan 34)
Aston Villa 1 (Agbonlahor 79)

The Royals had to settle for a 1-1 draw in this afternoon's entertaining pre-season friendly against Aston Villa.

It was tough on the home team, who led for the majority of the game through youngster Jem Karacan, also missed a penalty, forced Brad Friedel into a number of good saves and hit the post through Noel Hunt.

Nicky Shorey was absent from the Royals' squad with Stephen Hunt taking his place at left back, while Graeme Murty's calf strain saw the right back place go to Liam Rosenior.

Villa were without ex-Royal Steve Sidwell through injury, and left summer speculation object Gareth Barry benched.

Reading were far the better team in the opening half, and could have easily had more than Jem Karacan's goal to show for their efforts.

Stephen Hunt had a penalty saved from Friedel, Leroy Lita forced an excellent save from the US keeper and the lively Jimmy Kebe volleyed a good chance over the bar, while Marcus Hahnemann had a quiet time in the Royals' goal.

Karacan's goal was a simple tap-in for the substitute, who replaced the injured Kalifa Cisse, after James Harper's long-range effort was deflected onto the post.

The second half followed a similar pattern as substitute Noel Hunt hit the post with his first touch and Harper had a shot cleared off the line, but Villa claimed a draw through Gabriel Agbonlahor's close range effort.

Reading: Hahnemann; Rosenior, S Hunt (Kelly 71), Duberry (Sonko 62), Ingimarsson (Pearce 76); Cisse (Karacan 33), Harper (c), Kebe (Henry 76), Convey; Doyle (Long 73), Lita (N Hunt 73)
Subs: Andersen

Aston Villa: Friedel; Gardner (Reo-Coker HT), Stieber, Davies (Knight 62), Laursen (c); Osbourne (Young 62), Salifou, Routledge (Delfouneso 75), Maloney (Albrighton 75); Carew (Agbonlahor HT), Harewood
Subs: Taylor, Barry, Petrov

Attendance: 7,271

First half
It took Reading just three minutes to create the first opportunity, with Liam Rosenior and Jimmy Kebe neatly exchanging passes for the Mali international to cross for Leroy Lita, who span well but hit his low shot straight at Brad Friedel.

Villa, without the injured Steve Sidwell, were playing with attacking intent as well, and came very close when a swift break resulted in Marlon Harewood releasing the unmarked Wayne Routledge, who rolled a low effort inches wide of the left hand post.

After nine minutes Lita went close again, when Bobby Convey's left wing corner was headed on by Kalifa Cisse and the striker glanced a header narrowly wide.

Convey then won a penalty when a fortunate ricochet off Kevin Doyle fell to the American, whose purposeful surge into the box was ended by Martin Laursen's mistimed challenge.

Stephen Hunt stepped up to curl the penalty towards the left hand corner but Friedel, making his Villa debut, guessed correctly and made a solid parry to preserve his clean sheet.

Kebe was looking lively down the right flank and created another good opening on 20 minutes, cutting infield to release Convey, who scuffed his first time shot wide from the left corner of the box. Kebe then headed narrowly over from a left wing cross as the Royals continued to impress,

Villa were looking less purposeful, with the most they managed to test Marcus Hahnemann in the opening half hour coming with a harmless long range curled effort from Shaun Maloney.

Convey and Kebe were providing nice width for Steve Coppell's side, and with 33 minutes played the American won a corner with a deflected long range right footed effort after cutting inside to find some space.

Coppell was then forced into a reshuffle when Kalifa Cisse, who had earlier been injured in a heavy challenge from Isaiah Osbourne, was replaced by Jem Karacan in the centre of midfield.

And Karacan netted the opener with one of his first touches. The goal came in bizarre circumstances when Lita chested down neatly for James Harper, whose mis-hit shot from 25 yards was deflected off Curtis Davies to wrongfoot Friedel. The ball rolled against the right-hand post and rebounded out straight into the path of Karacan, who had the simple task of slotting home from six yards.

An excellent move then nearly yielded a second. Convey, Lita, Harper and Kevin Doyle were all involved before the Irishman slipped a pass through to Lita, who turned onto his left foot to fire powerfully towards the near post, where Friedel produced a good reaction save.

On the stroke of half time Kebe squandered an excellent opportunity for a second, volleying high over the crossbar from ten yards when he was found unmarked by Doyle's excellent right wing cross.

It had been a strong first half performance from Coppell's men, who thoroughly deserved their half-time advantage as Kebe in particular caught the eye, while Villa had looked lacklustre.

Second half
The visitors started the second half much stronger, and Hahnemann was forced into an excellent reflex save from Martin Laursen's volleyed effort following an uncleared corner.

The Royals soon got back into their stride and Kebe again volleyed too high when Harper's inswinging left-sided free kick found him unmarked at the far post.

The usual friendly match procession of substitutions then got underway, with Ibrahima Sonko replacing Michael Duberry in the centre of Reading's defence.

Another cross from Doyle caused more problems for the Villa defence as Lita sneaked in front of his marker at the near post to send a powerful header goalwards, forcing Friedel into another sharp save.

Midway through the period the impressive Karacan made good headway down the right, crossing dangerously for Convey who couldn't quite steer an effort goalwards,

Villa's pace was occasionally threatening on the break, and with 20 minutes remaining a snapshot from substitute Ashley Young fizzed narrowly past Hahnemann's left upright.

Noel Hunt was given his Reading debut as he and fellow Irishman Shane Long replaced Lita and Doyle, while youngster Julian Kelly was given an opportunity in place of Stephen Hunt.

And just like Karacan in the first half, Noel Hunt almost made an immediate impact - racing onto a long ball and shrugging off a challenge to create a glorious opportunity that he could only steer onto the right post as Friedel dived at his feet.

Further substitutions followed with Academy products James Henry and Alex Pearce replacing Kebe and Ingimarsson respectively.

Villa had rarely threatened, but showed Premier League incisiveness to equalise with one of their rare sorties forward on 79 minutes; Mart Albrighton fizzed a low right wing cross into the six yard box, where Gabriel Agbonlahor squeezed the ball home.

In the last minute Harper came agonisingly close to a winner when Alex Pearce headed a corner back across goal and the midfielder stabbed an effort towards goal only for Albrighton to clear instinctively off the line.