Championship
Reading
Nov 9, 2013 12.15pm
1
1
HT : 0 0
FT
QPR
  • Gareth McCleary 62' goal
  • Pavel Pogrebnyak 67' yellowcard
  • yellowcard Benoit Assou-Ekotto 44'
  • goal Joey Barton 78'

Live Commentary: Reading 1-1 Queens Park Rangers - as it happened

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Reading 1-1 QPR - as it happened
© Getty Images

Two sides who this time last year were in the Premier League met at the Madejski Stadium this afternoon as Reading hosted Queens Park Rangers in the Championship.

The match finished as a third-straight draw between the pair after goals from Garath McCleary and Joey Barton in the second 45.

Read how it all unfolded in our minute-by-minute updates below.

2.16pmAnyway, that's about it from us on Sports Mole for this game. Find links to our live coverage of today's Premier League action and more by clicking here. We'll have updates on the feature 3pm match in the Championship between Leicester and Forest on site in around 10 minutes' time. See you there.
2.13pmBoth McCarthy and Barton speaking to Sky Sports News say that they are happy with a point. Both sides stay where they were at the start of the day, with QPR third and Reading fifth.
2.11pmObita's delivery was almost met by Morrison but Onuoha was able to clear and Taylor blew his whistle straight away to end the game.
90+6 minFULL-TIME: READING 1-1 QPR
90+5 minMcAnuff has a chance to lump one into the box but Assou-Ekotto is there to stop the cross. Moments later the Royals earn a corner and this is the last chance...
90+1 minFIVE minutes of added-on time for either side to find a winner. Hard to say who looks more likely at the moment but you'd favour Reading with the fresh legs and home advantage.
89 minREADING SUBS: Adkins finally makes a trio of changes as Guthrie, who seems to have picked up an injury, comes off for Hope Akpan. Two further changes as well, with Jobi McAnuff and Billy Sharp on for Robson-Kanu and McCleary.
86 minFantastic through-ball from Johnson into the path of Phillips, who squares up his man before firing well over the crossbar. Poor effort after such a good pass.
84 minCLOSE! You'd expect Reading to be doing all the pressing as they're at home and now up against 10-and-a-half men (Hoilett has limped back on). However, it's QPR who go close as Johnson's volley on the swivel flashes wide.
83 minExcellent defending from Kelly as he summons the energy to go stride-for-stride with Phillips before nicking the ball from the impressive winger.
80 minBAD NEWS for QPR soon after the goal as Hoilett hobbles off with what looks to be a thigh problem. Rangers will play the final 10 minutes of the match with 10 men as they have used all of their substitutes.
78 minThe controversial character bends it powerfully to the goalkeeper's side and through the tiniest of gaps between Baird and Guthrie. McCarthy gets a hand to it but can only push it inside the near post. Barton runs to the bench to collect a shirt with injured teammate Ale Faurlin's name and number on the back. A nice touch.
78 minGOAL! READING 1-1 QPR (BARTON)
77 minAustin fouled right on the edge of the box by a nasty Gorkss slide tackle. Great chance for the visitors, this...
74 minFrom the resulting corner, a header back into the area by Baird drops to Morrison, whose shot squirms out and well wide of the goal. Reading still haven't made a sub and Adkins must be thinking about bringing some fresh legs on to see this result through.
73 minCLOSE! Reading break upfield and almost have a second as Obita's shot through the legs of Onuoha seems to wrongfoot Green, who somehow uses his foot to divert it wide of the far post.
71 minGOOD HIT! Austin comes close for the first time in the second half with a gorgeously-struck half-volley that unfortunately whizzed straight at McCarthy.
71 minHoilett is down after appearing to pull a muscle when digging out a cross. Remember, QPR have used all of their substitutions so he will need to soldier on.
69 minHere's a shot from Getty Images of Obita and Assou-Ekotto battling for the ball:

© Getty Images
67 minYELLOW! The first Reading name to be taken is Pogrebnyak for a sliding challenge from behind. The Russian may have got the ball but Taylor wasn't impressed.
66 minQPR SUB: Redknapp doesn't wait long to play his final card, bringing on striker Andy Johnson for Gary O'Neil. That will see the visitors switch to a 4-4-2, with Kranjcar and Barton in the middle.
63 minReading's tails are up and they threaten again as Pogrebnyak skips into the area before his shot is well blocked by Onuoha.
62 minWhat a goal! McCleary lets fly from almost 30 yards and it fizzes low off the turf and in off the right-hand post. Green with absolutely no chance of stopping that one.
62 minGOAL! READING 1-0 QPR (MCCLEARY)
60 minToday's attendance at the Madejski is confirmed as 21,487, including an impressive 2,153 travelling Rangers fans.
56 minAgain it's Austin who doesn't quite get his feet right as Phillips let him take the ball on from the edge of the box. Moments later O'Neil cuts the ball back for Assou-Ekotto, whose well-struck low shot is blocked by Gorkss.
53 minKranjcar cleverly uses the outside of his boot to find Austin in the box with his back to goal. The striker can't quite get the ball under control though and the chance goes begging.
50 minVery little to speak of in the opening five minutes of the second half. Hoilett almost created a chance but couldn't pick out a teammate in the area. Nothing down the QPR end from Reading's attack yet.
46 minKICKOFF! The second 45 is underway. Surely we'll have a goal in this half after such an action-packed first period?
1.20pmQPR SUB: The visitors have made their second change of the day at half time as Nedum Onuoha takes the place of Dunne at the back.
1.19pmIf you're just joining us and want a quick recap of the first half before the second starts, read our half-time report here.
1.16pmAs always on SM, it's a very busy Saturday on the website. Click here to see everything that's taking place with our live scores service.
1.14pmSTATS: Reading recovered from the early QPR pressure to just edge the possession with 51% of the ball in the first half. Rangers were the more dangerous side though and got five of their eight shots on target. Baird's low header was Reading's only attempt that worked Green.
1.10pmYou may remember McCarthy's incredible performance between the sticks last season against Liverpool. Below are some of the saves he made to keep out the likes of Suarez and Sturridge last season.

1.07pmIt may be goalless at the Madejski but it's been an entertaining half of football, that's for sure. Both sides have had their chances and both keepers have had plenty to do. McCarthy has been the busier and some of his saves have been first class.
1.05pmBarton surprisingly went for goal from that far out and curled it straight at McCarthy who held as expected. Taylor blows for half time straight away.
45+3 minHALF-TIME: READING 0-0 QPR
45+2 minQPR win a free kick about 35 yards out that Barton is standing over. This will be the last chance of the half...
45+1 minJust as two minutes of time is added on, Reading pressurise the Rangers backline, who defend well to not allow a chance.
45 minYELLOW! The first name in the book is Assou-Ekotto. The former Spurs man was beaten to a loose ball by Obita and brought the Reading man down.
42 minGREAT SAVE! This is McCarthy's best stop of the lot as Hoilett's pace sees him travel across the face of the area before letting fly with a vicious low shot that looks destined for the bottom corner until McCarthy's fingertips nudge it around the post. Brilliant stop.
41 min

39 minSAVE! First QPR chance for a while as Simpson hoists it into the box from the right where Austin meets it powerfully but can't beat the strong hands of McCarthy. That's the third time this half that McCarthy has denied the visitors' top scorer.
38 minAssou-Ekotto slips to allow Robson-Kanu in down the right. He works a yard of space with a step-over before cutting back low in the direction of Pogrebnyak, but Dunne has read the situation and clears.
36 minInterestingly, Hoilett and Phillips have swapped wings for the visitors. Seems an odd decision as they were both enjoying their fair share of success against Gunter and Kelly respectively.
32 minSAVE! The resulting free kick almost brings about the first goal as Guthrie's delivery is met by Baird, whose flicked header is going into the far corner until Green gets down low to palm away. That's the closest that the home side have come.
31 minQPR SUB: The change is made and Jenas trundles down the tunnel for further treatment.
30 minBarton trips up Robson-Kanu but before the free kick is taken Jenas needs attention as he sits down holding his hamstring. Looks like his afternoon is over as Kranjcar strips off on the touchline.
28 minMore Reading pressure as Gunter's deep cross finds the head of Pogrebnyak who can't get on top of it and heads over.
27 minMcCleary's run down the right is found and he crosses low into the box. A scramble ensues and Pogrebnyak almost toepokes it into the corner but it dribbles wide.
26 minPhillips really has got Kelly frightened at the moment. The Reading left-back is standing off so much that Phillips can easily get his crosses in. The latest one beats Austin in the box and runs through to McCarthy.
24 minMcClearly with a neat step-over to get past one before wildly shooting high and wide with his weaker left peg from 20-ish yards.
22 minGunter allows Hoilett too escape his grasp too easily down the left before the Canadian drove into the box and cut back for O'Neil, whose low shot was blocked by Morrison's brave lunge before hitting Hoilett and going out for a goal kick.
19 minPENALTY APPEAL! Oh this looks like a penalty to me. Obita nutmegs Simpson and there's clearly contact between the hips of the pair. Perhaps Obita went down too easily but for me that was a pen.
16 minO'Neil digs out a superb cross under pressure down the left wing that somehow flashes across the six-yard box without getting a touch from either an attacker or defender.
15 minPhillips just managed to travel a whole half of the pitch because Kelly was too scared to get too close and make a challenge. The QPR winger certainly has the Reading left-back scared at the moment.
12 minJUST WIDE! Phillips has had an electric start down the QPR right and he goes close by cutting inside onto his left foot and rifling a shot just past the near post. The ball ricochets into the back of the net and the QPR fans down the other end think it's gone in!
10 minAfter those early close-calls, Reading have now settled down and are seeing a lot more of the ball. They're still yet to work Green though.
6 minBoth clubs have a poppy on their shirts and you can see from this picture what QPR's looks like:

5 minSAVES! This is a good start by QPR, who have just come close on two occasions, with Austin being denied by both times by McCarthy. They were similar snapshot chances in the area that came from a pair of Phillips crosses.
3 minOFF THE BAR! Woweee! Hoilett has scored some spectacular goals in his short career and he almost adds another with a rocket of a drive from at least 25 yards that whizzes past McCarthy at his near post and cracks back off the crossbar. Some hit.
0 minKICKOFF! After a minute's silence for Remembrance Weekend, we're underway at the MadStad.
12.14pmPREDICTION TIME! Just before we get underway it's time for my nailed-on prediction. I fancy QPR to nick this one by a single goal, 1-0 or 2-1 to the visitors.
12.11pmHere come the two sides out of the tunnel. Reading are in their home colours of blue and white while QPR don their green and yellow away combo.
12.08pmNeither side is in particular sizzling form at the moment, with both sides managing just one win from their last four matches. More.
12.05pmClick here to see the table ahead of the match. QPR will provisionally go top with a win, while Reading can't climb any places with three points but will close the gap to the top three.
12.03pmREFEREE WATCH: The man in charge today is Anthony Taylor, who usually officiates in the Premier League and is taking a step down a league today.
12.01pm

11.59amWhen these two last met back on April 28 it was a grim day for both clubs as a goalless draw relegated them both from the top flight. The other match in the Premier League last season was also a draw.
11.57amMidfielder Faurlin has had a number of injury problems during his time in England and he again suffered a cruel blow earlier in the week as his season was ended by a cruciate knee ligament injury. Read more here.
11.55amHarry Redknapp, meanwhile, also makes a single alteration to his lineup as Gary O'Neil replaces the injured Alejandro Faurlin.
11.53amIt's one change from Reading manager Nigel Adkins as Kaspars Gorkss comes into defence to face his former club, with Alex Pearce dropping to the bench.
11.51amSUBS! And the two sets of seven in the dugouts at the Madejski:

READING: Federici, Cummings, Pearce, Akpan, McAnuff, Le Fondre, Sharp
QPR: Murphy, Traore, Johnson, Onuoha, Chevanton, Kranjcar, Henry
11.49amQPR XI: Green, Simpson, Dunne, Hill, Assou-Ekotto, Phillips, Jenas, Barton, O'Neil, Hoilett, Austin
11.48amREADING XI: McCarthy, Gunter, Kelly, Gorkss, Morrison, Baird, Guthrie, McCleary, Obita, Pogrebnyak, Robson-Kanu
11.46amMorning all! The first game in the Football League today sees a meeting between two clubs who this time last year were in the Premier League.
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