The final match of the sixth round of fixtures in the Championship saw Reading and Brighton & Hove Albion play out a goalless draw at the Madejski Stadium.
It wasn't a match without incident, though, as both sides saw a striker sent off in the first half.
Pavel Pogrebnyak was the first go for two bookable offences, one a late tackle and the other an adjudged dive.
Minutes later Brighton's star forward Leonardo Ulloa was given a straight red for a kung-fu kick on Reading defender Alex Pearce.
In the second 45 minutes, both sides had chances to win it but could not take them. Here, Sports Mole dissects an action-packed 90 minutes.
Match statistics:
Reading:
Shots 10
On target 4
Possession 44%
Corners 5
Fouls 12
Brighton:
Shots 20
On target 5
Possession 56%
Corners 8
Fouls 14
Was the result fair?
Just about, yes. If one side deserved to win it more, then it would be Brighton, who had the better chances in a surprisingly good second half after all those cards in the first. Manager Oscar Garcia will be gutted that his side could not take those opportunities, but he would have definitely taken a point before kickoff.
Reading's performance
Nigel Adkins's men haven't had the most convincing of starts since relegation and it was not great at home today. Yes, Pogrebnyak's dismissal was a little harsh, but there was not much going forward from the hosts. The fact that their best player was keeper Alex McCarthy says it all. Second-half substitute Wayne Bridge was excellent from the left and should start the next game.
Brighton's performance
It should have been much easier for Brighton after Pogrebnyak's dismissal but they shot themselves in the foot when Ulloa stupidly went in with a karate kick on Pearce. At the back, Gordon Greer and Matthew Upson were excellent, while Kazenga LuaLua took on a lot of the attacking responsibility after Ulloa's red. Plenty of encouraging signs for Garcia.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Kazenga LuaLua: LuaLua was a threat all afternoon down the left side of the visitors' attack and was unlucky not to set up or score the winner.
Biggest gaffe
Easy winner here and that's Ulloa for his crazy decision to go in with a high foot. If he had stayed on the pitch, it would have given Brighton a great chance to take three points, not just one.
Referee performance
Not an easy game for Graham Scott to officiate, especially in a heated first half. Ulloa's sending-off was an easy decision to make but Pogrebnyak's two yellows could certainly be considered harsh. The first, in particular, seemed cruel as Kazenga LuaLua went down ever so late after the Russian's lunge.
What next?
Reading: It does not get any easier for the Royals as former manager Brian McDermott brings his Leeds United side to Berkshire on Wednesday evening.
Brighton: The Seagulls, meanwhile, also face a tough midweek opponent in second-placed Queens Park Rangers.
Pascal Lemesre
