READING conceded twice in the final seven minutes to throw away a 2-0 lead against title-chasing Cardiff City at Madejski Stadium.
Royals were comfortable at the break, 2-0 up through a Callum Paterson own goal and deflected Mo Barrow strike.
And that is how it stayed until the 83rd minute when Joe Bennett volleyed Cardiff back into contention.
Cue a dramatic finish as substitute Lee Tomlin lashed in a stoppage time equaliser, via the underside of the crossbar, to earn a share of the spoils.
The draw means Reading miss out on the chance to move into the top half and instead sit 14th in the Championship table, 10 points off the play-offs.
Jaap Stam named an unchanged side for the fourth straight game having won two and drawn one of the previous three.
After a fairly uneventful opening few minutes, Cardiff were the first to try their luck when a long throw into the box caused chaos, falling to the feet of Omar Bogle but he could not turn it goalwards.
Vito Mannone then had to be alert to produce a brilliant save, sliding out to deny tricky winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
And Royals got their noses in front shortly afterwards when Liam Kelly whipped a corner into the near post and Paterson flicked a header over goalkeeper Neil Etheridge and into his own net.
Yann Kermorgant headed wide as Reading looked to turn the screw, but Cardiff had a chance of their own when a fierce low Joe Ralls effort was parried away by Mannone.
The visitors were trying to press the Royals high up the pitch, only to be picked off by some crisp and precise passing.
And the lead was double before the break, albeit from another set piece. The ball was cleared out as far as Barrow, who volleyed from 22 yards and after deflections off both Loic Damour and Bennett, it wrong-footed Etheridge and nestled into the net.
But Cardiff looked rejuvenated after the restart, only to be almost caught out when some sloppy defending let Kermorgant in, but his low shot was saved.
The Bluebirds then broke forwards with Junior Hoilett heading into the ground and the ball bounced beyond Mannone but just over the crossbar.
The pressure kept coming with Mannone spilling a Sol Bamba effort, but Bogle could not pounce and poke the ball in.
Things took another turn for the worse for Cardiff when manager Neil Warnock was sent from the dugout, not for the first time at the Mad Stad, having been reprimanded by referee Steve Martin just minutes earlier.
But the promotion hopefuls would not be denied, setting up a grandstand finish when Bennett volleyed in fiercely from inside the box with seven minutes to play.
Stam introduced Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Adrian Popa to try and help see out the game and Royals came close to adding a third when Dave Edwards fired into the side netting.
But it was Cardiff who would score again.
Just as the game moved into five minutes added time, chaos in the box saw Bamba head against the crossbar and on the rebound Tomlin smashed in off the underside of the bar.
After consultation with hawk-eye, the goal was given to spark wild celebrations in the away end.
There was still time for even more late drama as in the final action a ball into the box reached Paul McShane at the back post and his header came back off the woodwork.
While the Royals did throw away the two-goal lead, they are now unbeaten in five games.
READING: Mannone; Bacuna, McShane (c), Moore, Gunter; van den Berg, Edwards, Kelly (Bodvarsson 84); Aluko (Popa 88), Barrow, Kermorgant.
Subs not used: Jaakkola, Ilori, Blackett, Clement, Beerens.
Goals: Paterson (OG) (16), Barrow (41)
Yellow cards: Kelly (51), Bacuna (87)
CARDIFF: Etheridge, Manga, Bamba, Morrison (Peltier 34), Bennett, Paterson (Tomlin 79), Ralls, Damour, Mendez-Laing, Hoilett, Bogle (Feeney 81).
Subs not used: Murphy, Connolly, Halford, Pilkington.
Goals: Bennett (83), Tomlin (90+1)
Yellow card: Bogle (33)
Referee: Steve Martin
Attendance: 11,307 (inc. 1,383 away)
