Town and Reading remain locked at 0-0 at half-time at Portman Road.

Boss Mick McCarthy made three changes to his side, two of them forced. Bartosz Bialkowski took over from the injured Dean Gerken in goal, while Luke Hyam replaced Jonathan Douglas, who started a three-game ban for his red card at Birmingham.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles came in for Kevin Bru, who dropped to the bench, in a switch to 4-4-2 with Freddie Sears moving up front with Daryl Murphy.

Keeper Jonathan Henly was on the Blues bench for the first time against the club where he came through the academy before being released last summer.

Central defender Piotr Malarczyk was available after serving his one-match ban and was in the 20-man squad but was left out of the 18 in favour of Paul Digby.

For Reading, who wore an unusual all mauve kit, Yann Kermorgant, a Town target during his time with Bournemouth, made his full debut."
The game made a very quiet start with the only incident of note in the opening 10 minutes Kermorgant requiring treatment after a clash of heads.

On 11 Ryan Fraser whipped in a corner from the left which Ali Al-Habsi in the Reading goal was forced to punch away from under his crossbar at the near post.

Four minutes later, Royals skipper Oliver Norwood wasted a freekick - won when Stephen Quinn rather obviously ran straight into Town skipper Luke Chambers - in a promising position on the left, hitting a low shot well wide of the near post with his team-mates waiting in the box.

Jordan Obita got his name in referee Tim Robinson’s book in the 19th minute for a foul on Hyam down the right as the Blues started to get on top. Maitland-Niles whipped in a dangerous freekick, then Fraser’s corner from the left was headed away from inside the six-yard box by Jake Cooper.

The Blues continued have the better of what had been a largely drab game played in a pre-season type atmosphere. On 24 Al-Habsi failed to deal with a low Daryl Murphy cross from the right and Chris Gunter somewhat uncomfortably cleared.

On 24, following a Town corner, Reading broke quickly through Hal Robson-Kanu on the right but Hyam got a heel to his low cross as he looked to find Quinn at the far post.

Two minutes later the Blues threatened when Hyam fed Maitland-Niles but the England U19 international’s well-struck shot was blocked by Anton Ferdinand. The on-loan Arsenal youngster was by now playing in the advanced central midfield role with the Blues having switched to their 4-3-3 system with Sears back out on the right.

As the game approached the half-hour mark Matej Vydra was sent away between Tommy Smith and Christophe Berra but the New Zealand international did enough to send him away from goal. The Czech did well to find Robson-Kanu but the Wales international was crowded out.

Two minutes later, Murphy surrendered possession to Vydra inside the Town half but the visitors were unable to work themselves a clear-cut shot at goal.

Fraser smashed a long distance effort across the face of goal on 34 and then, with Reading now on top, Vydra hit a low 25-yard effort which Bialkowski claimed comfortably.

Sears broke away down the right in the 44th minute and found Fraser who took a difficult ball down deftly before hitting a shot which Al-Habsi blocked. After the corner, Smith scuffed a volley wide off Sears.

In injury time Norwood was booked for tripping Fraser as he broke towards the area after Jonas Knudsen had won the ball. From the freekick, Murphy and then Chambers headed the ball goalwards but the linesman’s flag was raised for offside and referee Robinson immediately blew his whistle for half-time.

Town had had the better of a not overly entertaining half with Al-Habsi the busier of the two keepers, albeit without having made too many serious saves.

The Blues had got on top after a very slow start to the game, then Reading had a short spell in which Vydra in particular had been a threat, but Town had ended the half looking the more dangerous side.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Maitland-Niles, Skuse, Hyam, Fraser, Sears, Murphy. Subs: Henly, Foley, Digby, Coke, Bru, Varney, Pitman.

Reading: Al-Habsi, Gunter, Obita, Ferdinand, Cooper, Williams, Norwood (c), Quinn, Robson-Kanu, Vydra, Kermorgant. Subs: Bond, Taylor, Hector, McShane, McCleary, Piazon, John. Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex).

Photo: Action Images

NSL added 21:34 - Feb 2 Maybe skuse could do us all a favor by scoring a goal and helping win a game rather than throw the points away. Pathetic.
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BobbyPettaLoveLetter added 21:50 - Feb 2 NSL's message epitomises so much of what I've seen from TWTD comments this season - someone who's all too keen to jump on the team's back. So keen, in fact, they can't even wait for the game to finish. Come on, mate. Play to the whistle.
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