Reading earn valuable point after no-score bore

Reading 0 Blackburn 0

Reading earned a valuable point in their battle against relegation with a goalless draw against UEFA Cup-chasing Blackburn.

But the scoreline tells none of the story in a game which was flat for an hour and then exploded into life with a controversial red card for Reading midfielder Marek Matejovsky.

The Royals, down to 10 men, then created the two best chances of afternoon and could have left the Madejski Stadium with the victory which would have virtually assured their top-flight survival.

At one stage during a topsy-turvy afternoon in the Barclays Premiership, a draw did not appear enough for Reading with relegation rivals Bolton and Birmingham both winning.

But with Arsenal snatching a late winner at the Reebok Stadium, Reading retained their five-point cushion over the relegation zone with six games remaining.

The major talking point was the dismissal of Matejovsky, who was shown two yellow-cards in the space of 11 minutes.

The first on the hour mark was for a late tackle on David Dunn and was justified – but the second was for an innocuous challenge on Jason Roberts and incensed Reading manager Steve Coppell.

Marcus Hahnemann pulled off a brilliant point-blank save to deny Roque Santa Cruz before Reading then created two golden chances to win the game.

But after Stephen Hunt missed his kick and Brad Friedel saved Andre Bikey’s powerful header, Reading had to settle for a point.

There were a total of nine bookings in a match which exploded into life in the final 20 minutes after a first-half stalemate that was poor in quality and lacked intensity.

Reading did unsettle the Blackburn defence early, with Zurab Khizanishvili forced to deflect a Kevin Doyle cross away from Dave Kitson at the far post.

John Oster kept the ball in play, nutmegged Steve Warnock and drove in a low cross and Stephen Hunt could only poke the ball wide under pressure at the near post from Andre Ooijer.

Morten Gamst Pedersen was Blackburn’s chief threat in the early exchanges and he headed a David Bentley cross back across goal towards Roberts.

But the Grenada international, who helped his country to a 10-0 win over the US Virgin Islands in midweek, had more time than he realised and Reading goalkeeper Hahnemann picked off his soft header.

Blackburn were more patient but could not make their superior posession count and boss Mark Hughes was growing increasingly frustrated in the technical area.

Reading, attacking in flashes, continued to look more dangerous.

Friedel was then forced to punch the ball clear, virtually off Hunt’s forehead, and the American was out again to claim a catch ahead of Kitson’s physical leap.

Hunt almost latched onto a knock-down in the Blackburn area before Rovers broke clear with a 60-year run from Roberts before he was fouled by Matejovsky.

Pedersen’s drilled shot was tipped over the bar by Hahnemann, who claimed the subsequent corner and then clashed with Ryan Nelson.

The Blackburn captain kneed the ball out of Hahnemann’s grasp as he wound up to throw the ball clear and the keeper then jumped in dangerously to try and win posession back. Both players were booked by referee Mark Clattenburg.

Roberts created two openings either side of the break but first Liam Rosenior and then Bikey cleared Reading’s lines.

The pace and intensity had certainly picked up after the interval as Reading counter-attacked well, with Kitson a link-man on half-way before being clattered from behind by Warnock, who was booked.

Roberts quickly became the third Blackburn player to be shown the yellow for dissent.

Reading were playing with tempo and Doyle jinked inside two defenders before feeding Hunt, whose cross was laid back by Oster but Matejovsky scuffed his shot.

Rosenior then whipped in a dangerous cross to Hunt seven yards out but the Ireland international volleyed his shot high over the bar.

Matejovsky received his first booking for jumping into a tackle on Dunn and when Harper’s clearing header fell to Bentley, the England international unleashed a dipping volley which Hahnemann tipped over the bar.

Santa Cruz stole the wrong side of Bikey to latch onto a long ball from Dunn but poked his shot wide of the near post.

Matejovsky was then sent off for a block on Roberts and if that decision was controversial, Coppell was then infuriated by two poor off-side decisions.

The first of them allowed Santa Cruz a free header at goal which Hahnemann did brilliantly to parry clear from point-blank range.

Despite being a man down, Reading still worked the best chances to win the game.

Substitute Shane Long broke clear and picked out Hunt unmarked in the box but the energetic Reading striker could not connect with the volley.

Reading then forced a corner which Bikey met with a powerful header but Friedel parried it clear.