Middlesbrough 1 Reading 1

Mar 21 2010 Sunday Sun

READING boss Brain McDermott is a cousin of outlandish TV chef Heston Blumenthal and has served up a resurgent recipe for the Royals who have surged from relegation zone to play-off contenders since he took over.

For Boro fans, though, this stodgy encounter was far less palatable fare.

Boro have now drawn three games in a row after letting slip commanding leads to drift away from the promotion shake-up.

With time and games fast running out, Boro will be ruing missed chances that could have earned them a precious victory when most of their play-off rivals could only draw.

They remain five points adrift with eight games left but Cardiff – who play today – have two games in hand.

Injury-ravaged Boro were forced into a string of changes as they faced an in-form Reading team who arrived at the Riverside with a run of eight wins out of nine behind them.

Most of the focus, though, was on goal where fans’ favourite Danny Coyne had been dropped after a costly midweek fumble at Derby, with boo-boy target Brad Jones returning to widespread jeering as his name was announced.

There was a scrappy start, but most of the action was in the Reading half as Boro tried to impose themselves on the game.

Boro carved out the first real chance on seven minutes as a quick break through the middle found Barry Robson, and when he slotted a neat touch inside Gary O’Neil sent low 25-yard effort straight into the arms of the stooping Reading keeper Federici.

And two minutes late Boro went close again as Jonathan Franks broke down the left and got to the byline to drill a low ball across the face of goal, but although O’Neil did well to stretch and get a contact his stabbed effort spooned wide of the far post from 10 yards.

Boro were back on the attack on 16 minutes when they won a corner and keeper Federici had to palm away Robson’s inswinging flag-kick, but it was scrambled clear before the home side could profit.

And Boro went close again on 18 minutes as Emanuel Pogatetz got down the left and crossed in for Chris Killen to power a header wide.