Reading continued their unbeaten run after they laboured to a goalless draw away at Stoke City.
The Royals are without defeat in their last seven Championship matches and stay in fourth position after picking up a point on the road.
In a game of few chances, it was Stoke who came closest only to be denied by the offside flag after Steven Fletcher found the net from an offside position in the first-half.
Reading were looking for payback for the 3-0 defeat they were dealt by Stoke at the Madejski Stadium back in November.
The Royals have been in superb form, and came into the game with an unchanged eleven after beating fellow promotion rivals Bournemouth last Friday, while the Potters were winless in their last seven league fixtures.
It was a slow burner, with both sides creating few chances in the first-half of the match.
Angus Gunn had to fly off his line and punch away a free-kick, which fell to Andy Rinmhota who managed to get a shot away despite his wayward first touch and forced Gunn to tip the ball over the crossbar.
Reading then had some defending of their own to do as stand in captain Michael Morrison rose high and put in an important clearing header to clear the danger from a Sam Clucas corner.
James McClean wanted a penalty when he went down with Omar Richards and Tom McIntyre tracking him in the box, but he fell down far too easily for the lining of the referee, who awarded him a yellow card for simulation.
Clucas had a sight of goal with a half volley as he looked to test Rafael Cabral in the Reading net but he snatched at his shot and fired high and wide.
Stoke thought they had broken the deadlock in the match just before the half hour mark when Steven Fletcher found the back of the net.
However, his goal was chalked off for offside. A cross to the back post was headed back across goal to find Fletcher who finished with a superb acrobatic volley from close range, but he was denied after entering the play from an offside position.
Clucas’ set-piece delivery continued to look Stoke’s most potent weapon but Josh Laurent was alive to the danger as he turned the ball over his bar with several Stoke players lurking to turn the ball into the net.
Rafael had to pull off another save on the stroke of half-time ad Jon Obi Mikel burst into the box and pulled the ball back for McClean, but the midfielder scuffed his shot straight down the throat of the Brazilian keeper as the half came to a goalless finish.
The second half started as slowly as the first, with the sleet teeming down on a cold afternoon in Stoke.
A vital headed interception from Tom Holmes prevented the hosts from threatening again from a set-piece.
Veljko Paunović made a switch on the hour mark as John Swift was replaced by Yakou Meite.
Meite almost made an immediate impact as he got on the end of Ovie Ejaria’s deep cross but looped a header a few inches over the target.
Reading finally had their first attempt on target in the 73rd minute when Ejaria was found by Rinomhota and cut in from the left but his low strike which was held comfortably by Gunn.
Searching for a goal that would be likely to earn the three points, Reading broke forward through Ejaria who teed up Meite, but his shot was deflected wide of the target to give the Royals a corner.
A late change saw Sone Aluko take the place of Michael Olise in the final few moments of the match.
There were late chances for both sides in stoppage time, but Rafael kept out Brown’s header before Ejaria tried to seek Meite out at the back post but slightly over hit his cross.
Despite being able to find the cutting edge to give them three points, Reading earned their 12th clean sheet in the league this season.
Reading have a tough test in their next match on Wednesday night when they host fellow promotion hopefuls Brentford, who are six points above the Royals in second, at the Madejski Stadium (7pm kick-off).
Stoke City: Gunn, Collins, Souttar, Batth, Fox, Mikel (c), Clucas, Allen, Clarke, McClean, Fletcher
Subs: Bursik, Vokes, Smith, Brown, Cousins, Thompson, Tymon, Forrester, Matondo
Reading: Rafael, Richards, McIntyre, Morrison (c), Holmes, Laurent, Rinomhota, Olise, Swift, Ejaria, Joao
Subs: Southwood, Esteves, Yiadom, Gibson, Semedo, Tetek, Aluko, Meite, Baldock
