Reading 1-1 Scunthorpe United
Report from the Madejski Stadium

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Scunthorpe equalised late on to claim a valuable point against Reading at the Madejski Stadium.

An 80th minute leveller from Gary Hooper ensured a share of the spoils for Nigel Adkins' side after Grzegorz Rasiak had given the hosts a first half lead.

The point keeps the Iron 18th in the Championship, and five points above the relegation zone. They are also four matches unbeaten now.

The Iron entered the game making one change from the side that drew 1-1 at Barnsley.

Joe Murphy, who was suspended for one match after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season at Oakwell, sat out so Josh Lillis came in for him.

The defence consisted of Cliff Byrne, David Mirfin, Rob Jones and Marcus Williams, while Garry Thompson, Sam Togwell, Josh Wright and Grant McCann formed the midfield. Up front were Paul Hayes and Gary Hooper.

The substitutes were Sam Slocombe, Andrew Wright, George Friend, Jordan Spence, Matt Sparrow, Michael O'Connor and Jonathan Forte.

Wearing claret and blue for the clash at a cold Madejski Stadium, United had the first chance of the afternoon in the fourth minute when Thompson's cross from the left found Hooper, who headed into the arms of Adam Federici.

Seconds later, Gylfi Sigurdsson came close for Reading, cutting inside from the right after receiving a pass from Hal Robson-Kanu to strike goalwards a low effort which went wide of Lillis' bottom left-hand post.

The pressure continued from the hosts, and Jones had to be alert to cut out a Jobi McAnuff cross at the near post. Then, in the 12th minute, the Royals came close again when Rasiak headed over the crossbar from Ivar Ingimarsson's hanging cross.

Shortly after, Hayes played through Hooper, who advanced forward down the left-hand side of the area before firing in a low shot which Federici saved well. Soon after, a clipped shot from McCann drew a save from the home goalkeeper.

It was on 16 minutes that the hosts took the lead as Robson Kanu's cross from a narrow angle after being played through by Marek Matejovsky was powered home at the back post by Rasiak, who also notched against Scunthorpe for Watford in the FA Cup a year earlier and for Southampton in the league two seasons previous.

They almost added a second just two minutes later when Sigurdsson found himself in acres of space down the right of the penalty area, but Lillis stood up well to superbly tip the effort out. Then McAnuff's rebound was struck wide.

In the 26th minute, Hooper almost fashioned out a spectacular equaliser for himself, receiving the ball on the left wing before cutting inside and rocketing a shot goalwards, which Federici got both hands to to keep out.

McAnuff burst forward for Reading and looked to have a shot as he got into the area but Byrne thwarted him at the last moment.

As the half wore on, it was the home team who looked most likely to score, and Lillis made a magnificent stop from Sigurdsson's free-kick, superbly tipping the ball out to his right.

Then, from the subsequent corner, Alex Pearce hit the crossbar for the hosts with a half-volleyed strike from 12 yards. United, at this point, were struggling to muster much going forward and the result only looked like going one way.

In the 41st minute, they were inches away from making it two as Rasiak just failed to get a toe on the end of Robson-Kanu's low powerful cross from the right. Had he touched the ball it would have been a certain goal for Reading.

There was some early Iron pressure at the start of the second period, with McCann's inswinging corner from the right forcing Federici to come out and claim the ball.

It was an end to end start to the second-half, with Lillis called into action next, making a magnificent save from Sigurdsson's powerfully struck shot, tipping out for a corner.

Shortly after, on the counter attack, Hayes was played through but took too heavy a touch going towards goal, with Federici stopping well. Five minutes later, after the ball had only been half-cleared, Josh Wright looped a volleyed effort over the crossbar.

In the 60th minute, an Iron substitution was made as Andrew Wright came on for Byrne. Then, five minutes later, O'Connor replaced Togwell to add fresh legs to the midfield.

Inbetween those changes, Lillis saved his side again - getting down well to keep out Rasiak's header low down to his right. The subsequent loose ball was cleared.

Reading weren't as dominant as in the opening half and, little by little, United were getting more and more into the game. The hosts were a threat on the break though and almost added another in the 77th minute, with Sigurdsson drifting a low shot wide of the post from just inside the area.

Scunthorpe's equalising goal arrived in the 80th minute as Hooper slid home past Federici after Thompson's ball in was chested down by Hayes. It was his eighth goal of the season.

The leveller sparked some late pressure from the home team, with Ingimarsson skying a shot over the crossbar when it would have been easier to get a shot on target in on the Iron goal.

The lively Sigurdsson then hit the woodwork with a free-kick as the home side's quest for all three points continued - it was a case of trying to hold on to a point for Scunthorpe now.

Hooper was replaced by Forte with minutes remaining, and the Barbados international very nearly scored a last-gasp winner in the first minute from four of stoppage time as he weaved past three defenders before firing narrowly wide of Federici's bottom left-hand post. Had the Iron scored then it would have perhaps been harsh on a dominant Reading but the visitors would certainly have taken it.

As it proved, that was the last real chance of the game and both teams took home a point. The hosts were booed off by their support because they failed to kill off a determined Iron side.

Scunthorpe are next in action on Saturday when they host Ipswich Town.

Attendance: 15,274 (395 away).