Match ends, Reading 1, Yeovil Town 1.
Reading 1-1 Yeovil Town
- From the section Championship
Yeovil Town's Championship survival hopes were boosted as they held Reading to a draw despite having three players red-carded in the second half.
Shane Duffy headed Yeovil ahead before Byron Webster was sent off for pulling back Royston Drenthe for a penalty, but Adam Le Fondre's spot-kick was saved.
Reading levelled in the aftermath as John Lundstram put through his own net.
Joe Ralls saw red for felling Garath McCleary and Kieffer Moore went for a second booking but the Glovers held on.
The draw moved Yeovil off the bottom of the table on goal difference, following Barnsley's 5-0 defeat at Huddersfield.
Reading have dropped out of the play-off places, replaced by Wigan, after being left frustrated by a determined Somerset side.
The Royals went into the match having lost their two previous home games without scoring a goal, and will know Saturday's draw was a missed opportunity to return to winning ways.
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Yeovil, now unbeaten in four matches, started well and were ahead on 20 minutes when Duffy headed into the net after Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy missed Luke Ayling's cross.
Pavel Pogrebnyak had a headed effort disallowed for offside for the hosts before the break, but Reading drew level after Webster was sent off for hauling back substitute Drenthe as he bore down on goal.
Le Fondre's resulting penalty was saved by Marek Stech but the hosts equalised from the ensuing goalmouth scramble when Lundstram's attempted clearance went over the line off the back of the grounded goalkeeper.
Yeovil were reduced to nine men soon after when midfielder Ralls was given his marching orders for a scything challenge on McCleary, and they were down to eight in the 88th minute after Moore's second yellow card, a foul on Chris Gunter.
Reading boss Nigel Adkins:
"We started the game very well but yet again conceded a poor goal and gave our opponents something to cling on to.
"Then we just started lumping the ball forward.
"When they were down to eight, we got in a lot of crosses and created a lot of chances. We only got one point, when we should have had three, but credit to Yeovil. We've got to pick ourselves up and go again. We're still in the mix."
Yeovil manager Gary Johnson:
"I've no complaints on the day. The sendings off were not for viciousness.
"The first one Webster was just misjudgement and the second and third were two young lads who were a bit overzealous in the tackle. If you do that, you're going to get a red card.
"It's a lesson learnt for all three of them. They put their team in trouble but they didn't mean to. It was more a question of mis-timing.
"With only eight players, I was very proud of the way we defended. There is a passion among all the players and they want to do all they can to keep Yeovil Town in the Championship. We'd like to stay there as long as we can and if we survive, it will be the club's biggest ever achievement."
Line-ups
Reading
- 21McCarthy
- 2Gunter
- 37Obita
- 23Williams
- 5Pearce
- 17GorkssSubstituted forBlackmanat 82'minutesBooked at 83mins
- 12McCleary
- 16AkpanBooked at 41minsSubstituted forGuthrieat 45'minutes
- 9Le Fondre
- 7Pogrebnyak
- 19Robson-KanuSubstituted forDrentheat 63'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Federici
- 3Kelly
- 10Drenthe
- 20Guthrie
- 22Blackman
- 25Taylor
- 35Hector
Yeovil
- 1Stech
- 2AylingBooked at 86mins
- 3McAllisterSubstituted forLundstramat 57'minutes
- 4EdwardsBooked at 77mins
- 5WebsterBooked at 66mins
- 15Duffy
- 20HolmesSubstituted forOfori-Twumasiat 73'minutes
- 19RallsBooked at 71mins
- 13MooreBooked at 88mins
- 9HayterSubstituted forPalazuelosat 69'minutes
- 11LawrenceBooked at 31mins
Substitutes
- 7Dawson
- 8Palazuelos
- 23Grant
- 24Dunn
- 26Ofori-Twumasi
- 29Morgan
- 31Lundstram
- Referee:
- Scott Mathieson
- Attendance:
- 18,697
Match Stats
Home TeamReadingAway TeamYeovil
- Possession
- Home64%
- Away36%
- Shots
- Home30
- Away9
- Shots on Target
- Home8
- Away3
- Corners
- Home21
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away14
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Reading 1, Yeovil Town 1.
Corner, Reading. Conceded by Joe Edwards.
Attempt missed. Danny Guthrie (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right following a corner.
Corner, Reading. Conceded by John Lundstram.
Corner, Reading. Conceded by Joe Edwards.
Attempt blocked. Royston Drenthe (Reading) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Nick Blackman (Reading).
Ruben Palazuelos (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Royston Drenthe (Reading) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Danny Guthrie.
Garath McCleary (Reading) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Tom Lawrence (Yeovil Town).
Attempt blocked. Royston Drenthe (Reading) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Danny Guthrie.
Attempt blocked. Nick Blackman (Reading) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Chris Gunter.
Royston Drenthe (Reading) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Tom Lawrence (Yeovil Town).
Dismissal
Second yellow card to Kieffer Moore (Yeovil Town) for a bad foul.
Foul by Kieffer Moore (Yeovil Town).
Chris Gunter (Reading) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Booking
Kieffer Moore (Yeovil Town) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt missed. Chris Gunter (Reading) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Garath McCleary with a cross.
Booking
Luke Ayling (Yeovil Town) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Pavel Pogrebnyak (Reading).
Tom Lawrence (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Shane Duffy (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Tom Lawrence with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Yeovil Town. Conceded by Jordan Obita.
Booking
Nick Blackman (Reading) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Nick Blackman (Reading).
Tom Lawrence (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Reading. Nick Blackman replaces Kaspars Gorkss.
Foul by Pavel Pogrebnyak (Reading).
Marek Stech (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Reading. Conceded by Marek Stech.
Attempt saved. Pavel Pogrebnyak (Reading) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Danny Guthrie with a cross.
Attempt blocked. Pavel Pogrebnyak (Reading) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Danny Guthrie (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Royston Drenthe.
Attempt missed. Jordan Obita (Reading) left footed shot from long range on the left misses to the left. Assisted by Danny Guthrie with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Reading. Conceded by Marek Stech.
Attempt missed. Kaspars Gorkss (Reading) header from the right side of the six yard box misses to the right. Assisted by Danny Guthrie with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Reading. Conceded by Joe Edwards.