Town’s home game with Reading remains 0-0 at the break.

Former Royal Stephen Hunt replaced the injured Luke Hyam in an otherwise unchanged side lining up in a 4-4-2 formation. Reading, who beat Bolton 7-1 last week, were unchanged for the third successive game.

Prospective new loan signing Frazer Richardson was spotted at the ground with his move from Middlesbrough expected to be confirmed on Monday.

The Royals looked to continue where they left off last week, winger Garath McCleary breaking into space on the right in only the first minute but sent his shot well wide of Dean Gerken’s left post.

Soon after Hunt’s impressive break down the Town had been cut out, Adam Le Fondre — scorer of a first-half hat-trick in the victory over Bolton - almost found Pavel Pogrebnyak with a delicate chip, but Christophe Berra intervened. Soon after, Daryl Murphy scraped a shot wide from 25 yards.

Hunt wasn’t too far away from scoring against his old club in the 10th minute after Murphy had nodded down Luke Chambers’s cross from the right. The bounced awkwardly for the Irishman but he still managed a shot at goal, which was blocked. At the other end, Jordan Obita’s cross from the left was nodded high and wide by Pogrebnyak at the far post.

Town had started brightly and in the 13th minute Hunt played a corner to the on-rushing Aaron Cresswell who, after avoiding referee Andrew Madley, struck a shot which deflected wide off McCleary.

Reading felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the 16th minute when Tunnicliffe challenged Royals’ skipper Jobi McAnuff close to the byline. The Blues may well have been fortunate to get away with it, according some close to the incident in the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

On 18 Pogrebnyak went close to scoring what would have been a fortunate goal which Berra’s clearance from McCleary’s cross deflected off him and flew wide.

As the game moved towards the half hour, the visitors started to look the more threatening side, Cresswell eventually clearing a goalmouth scramble after a corner. For the Blues, Tommy Smith headed Tunnicliffe’s right-wing cross wide at the far post.

David McGoldrick hit a shot on the turn from distance in the 40th minute but was unable to test Reading keeper Alex McCarthy, who spent time on loan with the Blues in 2011/12.

Close to the end of the scheduled 45 minutes, McAnuff crossed from the right and the ball was half-cleared to Pogrebnyak but three Town players — Skuse, Chambers and Berra - threw themselves in front of it to block.

As the half moved into injury time Danny Williams hit a 25-yard strike which Gerken did well to push past his left post.

The scoreline was a fair reflection of a first half which had started brightly but had rather faded as it progressed. Opportunities had been rare but both sides had had chances, or rather half-chances, with Reading probably unfortunate not to have been awarded a penalty for Tunnicliffe’s challenge on McAnuff.

Town: Gerken, Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Edwards (c), Skuse, Tunnicliffe, Hunt, Murphy, McGoldrick. Subs: Loach, Mings, Tabb, Anderson, Wordsworth, Nouble, Taylor.

Reading: McCarthy, Gunter, Obita, Pearce, Gorkss, Williams, Akpan, McCleary, McAnuff (c), Pogrebnyak, Le Fondre. Subs: Subs: Federici, Cummings, Kelly, Hector, J Taylor, Blackman, Drenthe. Referee: Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire).

Photo: Action Images

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