Coventry 0
Reading 0Steve Coppell's Royals battled to a scrappy goalless draw at Coventry City this afternoon.
Read all about who came closes to breaking the deadlock in the clockwatch below.
Coventry: Westwood; Wright, Fox, Dann, Turner; Gunnarsson, Beuzelin, Henderson (Osbourne 60), Eastwood (Hall 84); Morrison, Best (Simpson HT).
Subs: Marshall, Ward.
Yellow: Turner, Wright, Fox, Morrison.
Reading: Hahnemann; Kelly, Armstrong, Bikey, Duberry, Harper (c) (S Hunt 68), Cisse, Little (Matejovsky 68), Tabb (N Hunt 82); Long, Kitson.
Subs: Federici, Pearce.
Yellow: Harper, Bikey, Tabb.
Att: 17,218 (1,801 away fans)
Ref: T Kettle
2.32pm - The teamsheets are in front of us and no Kevin Doyle for the Royals today. The striker suffered a slight strain on international duty in the week and is rested today.
Coppell has made five changes - bringing in Shane Long, Julian Kelly, Kalifa Cisse, Glen Little and Jay Tabb - who faces his former club. Missing out are the injured Brynjar Gunnarsson and Jimmy Kebe, the suspended Liam Rosenior, Doyle and Marek Matejovsky who drops to the bench.
2.53pm - We are being entertained by a group of cheerleaders who are dancing to 'Firestarter' by the Prodigy. A lot fo the ground is very empty but a healthy away following are making some noise.
2.58pm - The teams are striding onto the pitch now and shaking hands. The atmosphere has been built and the tams are announced - Jay Tabb is given a good reception by the home fans.
3 mins - A pedestrian start from both sides is livened up by a long range strike from Kalifa Cisse, but it flies well wide of the right post.
10 mins - Bikey is robbed of possession on the edge of his own area and Leon Best takes it on. He strikes on the volley from 25 yards but it skews off his right boot and floats well wide.
12 mins - Morrison is allowed to turn inside the box now and he whips a shot in, but it deflects off Duberry's leg and flies wide. The referee gives a goal kick but it certainly seemed to take a deflection off the Royals centre back.
14 mins - City look dangerous here as they break down the right. Duberry is out of position but Bikey does well to nod it behind when the dinked cross is chipped in. The corner is a poor one but Coventry win it back and get it out to Eastwood on the left. He cuts inside onto his right and drills a good effort at goal. Best stands in its way and tries to control it, but he's flagged offside and Reading have a free kick.
16 mins - Long clashes heads with a Stephen Wright and wins a free kick 23 yards out just left of centre. Tabb and Bikey stand over it Reading try something too clever and it's touched to Bikey, who can't wait for the ball to settle to shoot. Instead he tries to toe it through to Long, but a Coventry leg intercepts and a good opportunity is wasted.
19 mins - Long wins a corner which Tabb delivers dangerously into the middle. It's headed clear but it comes back to Glen Little who stands a cross up into the edge of the six yard box. It's over everyone, but Long can't bring it down to shoot at the far post.
21 mins - Good work from Little in the middle sees him find Long 25 yards out. Tabb is in space to his left, but Long shoots left footed from distance and scuffs it well wide of the right post.
23 mins - Bikey pushes Bent and concedes a free kick on the left. Fox swings it in and Dann gets on the end of it, but it's straight at Hahnemann who collects on the bounce.
26 mins - Bikey trips Best who turns him well on the edge of the box. It'll be a free kick and Danny Fox will surely take this. The wall does its job and then Harper blocks Fox's follow up drive. Good defending from Reading.
29 mins - Reading break now and have men on the right and left. Little opts to play it into the path of the overlapping Kelly. He wins a corner on the right and Tabb delivers but Coventry get it away.
30 mins - Long wins another corner with a good chest down that almost gets him on on goal. Little comes across to take this from the left but Westwood collects it calmly.
33 mins - Better from Reading in the last five or ten minutes. Armstong's cross from the left finds Kitson, but the striker leaning back can't get enough power on his header and Westwood collects it without any trouble.
34 mins - Kelly slips so can't contol Little's one-two and it's hooked over the top of the Royals defence for Best to latch onto. Armstrong does very well to come across and bundle it away from the City striker and nudge it out for a corner.
38 mins - Long does well to charge down a Ben Turner clearance from left back and he races onto the loose ball. Turner scythes him down and Reading have a free kick. Turner is booked but Tabb's inswinger is easy for Westwood.
45 mins - A great ball is slid into the box for Best to race onto. Hahnemann comes out to collect but the outfield player gets there first and he touches it away from the stopper. The big American's reach is substantial though and he gets a glove on it and gathers the loose ball. Claims for a penalty come mainly from the crowd and are soon quashed.
HALF TIME - A goalless first half and fairly uneventful. Scrappy at times and Westwood hasn't really been troubled. Sheffield United, hot on out trail, are 2-0 up at home to Ipswich by the way.
Coventry substitution. Leon Best has not emerged for the second half - Robbie Simpson is on for the striker.
47 mins - The first chance sees a right-sided cross from Morrison drop to Aaron Gunnarson who waits and waits for the ball to fall and volleys it first time at goal. It hits two Reading defenders and dribbles through to Hahnemann - shouts for handball come from the fans behind the goal but nothign it given.
50 mins - A few meaty challenges have livened things up a little here - Fox flew in on Little and Wright on Kitson - both of who have been booked.
52 mins - Morrison on Bikey now and he is booked. He's complaining about the decision but Bikey is unhappy with the challenge and points to his ankle.
57 mins - Bikey, who has also been booked now, slides in to clear his line but so does Kelly and they both get in each other's way. The ball loops up and Bikey gets up to calmly nod it back to Hahnemann.
60 mins - Coventry substitution. Henderson is replaced by Isaac Osbourne.
64 mins - I wish there was more to report for you, but it's all so scrappy at the moment. City are playing the better stuff though.
65 mins - Gunnarsson escapes Cisse down the right and from the byline he chips a good ball towards Eastwood at the far post. Kelly is trying to close him down but Eastwood shoots on the volley and lashes it well over.
68 mins - Reading will make a double change now. Stephen Hunt and Marek Matejovsky are coming on for Little and Harper.
72 mins - Long wins a free kick and the referee pulls play back even though Kitson has the ball at his feet. Hunt takes the free kick but sppons it high over the bar.
74 mins - Eastwood brings the ball down with his chest well on the left. He floats a cross into the box and Morrison nods it just over the bar. He's been flagged offside though so it'll be a free kick to Reading.
77 mins - Julian Kelly bombs forward and gets it from Matejovsky. He brings it inside and is allowed to run, but his final touch is heavy and City clear it. Only as far as Tabb though, who controls and unleashes a great 25 yard shot that whistles just wide of the top left corner. That's the closest Reading have come.
80 mins - Tabb wins a corner and Hunt trots over to take it on the right. It doesn't beat the first man though and Armstrong's redelivery is easily cleared. City clear and break down the right. Simpson crosses it low into Morrison who has it on the penalty spot but with his back to goal. He touches it back to Beuzelin who stabs a first time effort goalwards, but it skews off his shin and bobbles wide.
82 mins - Reading substitution. Noel Hunt is on for Tabb now. Tabb is given a good round of applause.
83 mins - Armstrong lofts a deep free kick into the box and Kitson nods it down to Stephen Hunt, whose drive is deflected behind for a corner. Coventry in no danger from the set piece though, which is too long for everyone.
84 mins - Coventry change. Eastwood is replaced by Marcus Hall.
87 mins - A bit of urgency at last from both teams but still no clear cut chances.
89 mins - Reading have a corner on the left now which Matejovsky takes short to improve the angle. When the cross comes in it's too deep for everyone though and Westwood gathers at his far post.
90 mins - Four minutes of injury time remain.
90(+2) mins - Two Noel Hunt crosses are just about cleared, the first one floating just over Kitson's head.
90(+3) mins - Now Noel Hunt wins a corner with a run along the byline. His brother's set piece is good but headed clear. Westwood has it in his hands as a redelivery from the left is floated into his hands.
90(+4) mins - Osbourne's scuffed shot wide apparently takes a touch off a Reading player. A corner at the death for the hosts now. It's deep but Simpsons heads it wide.
FULL TIME - Goalless it ends. A battling display but another disappointing result. Sheffield United gain serious ground and Reading fans have to hope other results on Sunday and Monday go their way.
