Reading 3 (Mooney 16, Bignall 60, Bossman 81)
Plymouth Argyle 3 (Folly 50, Mpenza 55, 63)

James Harper played the full 90 minutes on his return from injury as the Royals reserves were held to a 3-3 draw by Plymouth in an entertaining game at Madejski Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

James Henry created the first chance after ten minutes, breaking through the middle to release Oliver Bozanic, whose left footed crossshot flew across the face of goal.

The opening goal came in the 16th minute when a long ball through the middle was chased down by Nicholas Bignall. Visiting keper Lloyd Saxton raced out to clear but Bignall's persistence saw him block the ball into the path of David Mooney, who calmly chipped home into the empty net from 30 yards.

Bignall was the next to threaten the visitors' goal, receiving the ball at the end of a slick passing move after half an hour and firing a fierce drive that Saxton did well to parry.

With Kalifa Cisse and Alex Pearce forming an authoritative defensive partnership, the Royals were playing the better football and limited the involvement of goalkeeper Mikkel Andersen to a minimum in the opening period, but the keeper did well to parry a dangerous loose ball on the stroke of half time.

Reading had dominated the first half but it was soon a different story as Plymouth equalised with their first real chance early in the second period, when Steve Maclean flicked the ball onto Yoann Folly, whose volley beat Andersen to level the scores.

Surprisingly, Argyle then took the lead after 55 minutes when Maclean's throughball found Emile Mpenza, who capitalised on a Cisse slip to stride through unmarked and shoot past Andersen - with the Royals left rueing referee Mr McLaughlin's decision not to penalise a heavy challenge on Henry earlier in the build up.

But it wasn't long before parity was restored when Henry's far post free kick was nodded back across goal by Pearce, allowing Bignall to tap home from point blank range.

Andersen made a good save to keep out Jason Puncheon's 25-yard curling effort as the chances continued to flow, but the young Dane was powerless to keep out a close range drive from Mpenza on the rebound after blocking Maclean's shot on the turn.

Saxton made a great save to keep out Pearce's 66th minute header from a Henry corner, before Gylfi Sigurdsson smashed a long range effort narrowly wide as the Royals went in search of an equaliser.

Plymouth defended doggedly to protect their lead but sub Kelvin Bossman made it 3-3 inside the final ten minutes, turning home a close range shot from a precise Henry right wing cross.

Both sides fancied their chances of grabbing a late winner and immediately following a blocked shot by Mooney, Argyle broke with menace and sub Dan Smith fired inches wide after being released by Maclean.

Inside the final five minutes another arrowing Henry cross picked out unmarked sub Gary Frewen, whose downward header was scrambled away, and that was the last goalmouth action of note.

Reading: Andersen, Kelly, Golbourne, Cisse, Pearce (capt), Harper, Sigurdsson, Henry, Bozanic (Bossman 61), Bignall (Frewen 80), Mooney
Subs: McCarthy, Spence, Hateley

Plymouth: Saxton, White, Paterson, Timar (capt), Gerring, Walton, Folly, Marin (Smith 72), Puncheon, Maclean, Mpenza
Subs: Chenoweth, Kinsella, Barnes, Brett