A SECOND-HALF Jake Cooper header ensured Reading of a point from an entertaining score draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Madejski Stadium.
The hosts, however, should have nicked all three late on, but debutant Yann Kermorgant was horribly wide with a header from a Oliver Norwood cross.
Matej Vydra also stuck a post from a 21st-minute penalty on an afternoon where honours somehow finished even.
The point moves Royals up a place to 15th in the Sky Championship table, but they sit 11 off the top six, although those present will no doubt be left encouraged from what they saw on Saturday afternoon, especially in the second half.
Danny Williams and Norwood both went close for Royals after the break before centre-back Cooper popped up with the equaliser on 74 minutes and Kermorgant’s late chance, with the point
stretching the hosts recent unbeaten run at home to three games in all competitions.
Boss Brian McDermott made two changes to the side which eventually swept aside Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup on Tuesday night, although one of these was enforced.
With Garath McCleary having not fully recovered from the injury which forced him off in midweek George Evans, who signed for the club from Manchester City on the same evening, was handed his debut in midfield.
Jordan Obita, meanwhile, just back from a spell on the sidelines himself, was also thrust into the action in what was a straight switch at the back, where he took the place of Andrew Taylor, who was dropped to the bench.
But the returning full back would find himself under the cosh as all the early attacking work from Wednesday came down the right flank.
And it was from a foul by Obita on Jack Hunt which led to the first opportunity on seven minutes.
Ross Wallace set up as though he was going to swing over the free-kick, only to square for an unmarked Barry Bannan who lurked on the edge of the box.
The midfielder had enough time to take a touch before unleashing a strike which cannoned back off a post before Royals were able to clear the ball out of danger.
Wednesday continued to carry the greater threat going forwards, and it was from another move down the right when they would break the deadlock on 10 minutes.
Reading tried to play the ball out from the back, but the pass was loose and fell straight to Bannan, who duly attacked the space which lay in front of him, surging towards the box before slipping in Hunt on the overlap.
The full-back, with time on his hands, opted to play the ball in low to Hooper, who was able to steady himself before poking a shot into the corner for a 1-0 lead.
The response from the hosts was a positive one, with Evans attacking a corner, but unable to make a clear connection with his header, while an inviting cross dinked over by Norwood went unpunished.
Yet back came Sheffield Wednesday, and only a smart stop from Al Habsi diving down to his left denied Hooper when he tried his luck with a low drive from the edge of the box.
Another opportunity would arise from the resulting corner when the ball popped up nicely to Vincent Sasso who stood on the penalty spot, but the player was unable to get over the strike, which flew over the bar.
The fixture was now just over 20 minutes old and Reading had still to work Kieren Westwood in the Wednesday goal.
That, however, was to change when Glenn Loovens struggled to deal with a cross swung in by Chris Gunter.
The alert Vydra went for the loose ball, only to be sctyhed down by the defender, leaving the referee with no other option than to award a penalty.
Fresh from his hat-trick against the Terriers, a confident Vydra took responsbility for the spot kick, but in going for the bottom corner, the striker saw his attempt hit the foot of a post and rebound to safety.
Undeterred, Royals began taking the game to the opposition, with Hunt shanking a gorgeous Obita centre away for a corner after the defnder was sent on his way by Hal Robson-Kanu.
Hunt, though, was lucky to escape with only a caution when hacking down Vydra after the Czech had given him the slip out on the right touchline.
The home faithful were screaming for a red card, but referee Stephen Matrin deemed a yellow would suffice.
Other openings would fall to Norwood and Hunt, but neither could hit the target.
Obita would also let fly, and his drive from range was not too far away from landing in the top corner, but the home side would go in at the break a goal down.
Having witnessed an indifferent first 45 minutes from his charges, boss McDermott felt a change was necessary, so Kermorgant was handed his home debut, with Lucas Piazon making way.
The half was just seconds old when Danny Williams went for goal, but the shot lacked conviction and was easy pickings for Westwood.
An over-hit pass on the edge of the edge of the Wednesday area, however, was swallowed up by Fernando Forestieri, who would break at pace.
The move would eventually come to nothing, but a pass out to Bannan from Hooper saw the latter only just wide with a curling effort.
Back up the other end and a foul on Williams presented Kermorgant, a set-piece specalist, with his first sight of goal in Royals’ colours, but the Frenchman put too much leverage on the strike, which sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.
With the game beginning to open up, Gunter saw another cross deflected out for a corner, but then needed to produce a vital block to prevent Forestieri from making it 2-0 when set up by Kieran Lee.
Evans would see his first start for the club ended in the 64th minute when he made way for Ola John, and the replacement would have a part to play in helping draw Royals level.
For it was his cross which Kemorgant saw his header blocked and put out for a corner, which Norwood sent over and defender Cooper nodded home with aplomb.
Reading were now emcamped in Wednesday territory, and a bursting run from Williams would see the America international thread in Vydra, but the forward was called back for offside.
Williams would then see an ambitous volley on the edge of the box drop just the wrong side of a post as the hosts were now searching for a winner.
But John would be thankful Atdhe Nuhiu overhit his pass when losing possession on the edge of the Wednesday box.
The winger took too much time on the ball and was outmuscled by Lucas Joao, who covered some 70 yards when leading the counter.
He would eventually offload for Nuhiu, but he failed to find an unmarked Bannan.
This end-to-end encounter, though, should have been settled late on by Kermorgant.
It is a chance which is likely to haunt the forward too, who could only divert the ball wide when meeting a Norwood cross from the right.
With no-one around him and just three yards out, all Kermorgant needed to do was provide the deftest of touches and Westwood was beaten, but the new arrival was out of luck.
READING FC: Al-Habsi, Gunter, Obita, Cooper, Ferdinand, Norwood, Williams, Evans, Piazon (Kermorgant 46), Robson-Kanu, Vydra.
Subs not used: Bond, Taylor, Hector, John, Cox, Keown.
Goal: Cooper 74.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY: Westwood, Hutchinson, Loovens (c), Hooper (Nuhiu 85), Lee, Sasso, Hunt, Wallace (Helan 78), Pudil, Bannan, Forestieri (Joao 71).
Subs not used: Price, Palmer, Semedo, Bennett.
Goal: Hooper 10
Referee: Stephen Martin
Attendance: 18,972 (2,533 away)
