Reading FC were denied a dream start to the season at promotion favourites Birmingham City after a controversial penalty call allowed the hosts to snatch a late point.
Reading had acquitted themselves excellently throughout the game and had a deserved lead through Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan’s goal late in the first-half.
However, a chance to claim maximum points went by the wayside when the referee awarded a penalty for handball, despite Lewis Wing having his arms by his side when the ball struck him from a few yards away.
In front of a packed house at St Andrews, the Royals knew they were in for a tough test against the side that had splashed out more than £14million so far in the summer transfer window.
In contrast, Reading are the only side in the entire Football League to have not made a single addition due to their ongoing takeover saga and transfer embargo.
Despite being underdogs, Reading started brightly and were able to force the hosts into some early mistakes with the intensity of their press.
Harvey Knibbs had the ball in the net inside the opening five minutes, but the referee’s whistle had been blown a couple of seconds prior as he adjudged a foul to have been committed from Tyler Bindon on the goalkeeper.
A slick move forward from Reading couldn’t be finished after Sam Smith find Kelvin Ehibhatiomahn who flicked the ball to Knibbs who took a heavy touch.
The best chance of the half came Reading’s way after the half hour point. Ehibhatiomhan couldn’t get his shot away before the ball bounced up invitingly for Mamadi Camara, but his header from six yards out was caught by the keeper.
Reading continued to look to catch the Blues on the break and their impressive first-half performance was rewarded with a well deserved goal.
Last year’s player of the season slipped a sublime through ball to Ehibhatiomhan who kept his ball and fired past the goalkeeper to make it 1-0.
Reading thought they had doubled their money early in the second-half when Ehibhatiomhan again found himself in behind the Blues defence and slammed the ball into the bottom corner. But he had timed his run a fraction too early and was rightly called offside.
Birmingham came close to a reply, but the ball somehow evaded both May and then Luke Harris at the back post.
Jeriel Dorsett, who had been an injury doubt going into the game was replaced after an hour by Kelvin Abrefa, who had also just recovered from an injury.
After getting a free-kick on the very edge of the area, Birmingham wasted their chance by smacking the ball into the Reading wall.
Reading were denied late on as the referee awarded the home team a penalty after the ball struck the arm of Wing, despite him appearing to have his arms by his side.
May stepped up the spot and sent Joel Pereira the wrong way to make it 1-1 as both sides had to settle for a point each.
The Royals are in EFL Cup first-round action away at Colchester on Tuesday before they host Wigan Athletic next weekend in their first home match of the campaign.
Birmingham City: Peacock-Farrell, Cochrane, Bielik, Sanderson, Laird, Leonard, Seung-Ho, Dembele, Miyoshi, Willumsson, May
Subs: Allsop, Anderson, Hansson, Harris, Jutkiewicz, Klarer, Khela,
Reading: Pereira, Craig, Mbengue, Bindon, Dorsett, Wing, Elliott, Knibbs, Camara, Ehibhatiomhan, Smith
Subs: Abrefa, Boyce-Clarke, Garcia, Kanu, Osho, Savage, Wareham
Goals: Ehibhatiomhan 42’, May 87′ (pen)
