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Bradford City 0-0 Reading FC: Instant Reaction

Back to the Madejski Stadium we go! Plenty of huff and puff but little quality on show as Bradford and Reading draw 0-0.

By The Tilehurst End News Desk Updated
Alex Livesey/Getty Images

SUMMARY

Well that was a gutsy performance from Reading on an absolutely awful excuse for a football pitch. Reading dealt with plenty of second half pressure while also hitting the post twice themselves through Norwood and Pogrebnyak. Steve Clarke will probably be the happier of the two managers and you'd have to make the Royals favourites for the replay.

SECOND-HALF

FULL-TIME! We'll be back to the Madejski to settle this one folks. 0-0 it ends.

90. Ouch... Pearce takes an awful blow to the face that leaves blood streaming from the nose of the Reading captain. No subs so Reading will probably end this one with 10-men.

86. POST!!!- A delightful ball in from Norwood beats everyone and hits the post - a series of mis-kicks keep the game goalless.

83. SUBSTITUTION: All going off here as Akpan replaces Chalobah who took a hand in the face from his own captain Alex Pearce. Meanwhile a fan is thrown out for running on the pitch.

79. SUBSTITUTION: It's YAK time! The forward comes on for Mackie who's put in an excellent shift.

75. Getting closer..... Davies gets on the end of Morais set piece but his bullet header goes inches wide. Morais subbed off shortly afterwards for Andy Halliday.

71. Inches wide from Stead who profits at the end of a move sparked by an Olly Norwood give away. Bradford still looking the more likely to win this one while Reading look happy for a draw.

66. SUBSTITUTION: Hal Robson-Kanu replaced by Garath McCleary - another disappointing day at the office for Hal.

65. MASSIVE tackle from Stehen Kelly to deny Jon Stead who had wriggled between Pearce and Hector to get sight of Federici's goal.

60. Bradford very much on top here, and only a desperate block from Alex Pearce denies the home side a golden opportunity.

55. Bradford's turn to have a series of set pieces, but Morais continues his poor start to the half with a succession of poor deliveries that eventually ends with a Reading free-kick.

48. Back-to-back corners for the Royals leads to Chalobah sliding a shot wide.

46. CLOSE! Bradford have a glorious chance to take the lead but a moment of indecision from Morais sees him waste it at the far post with only Federici to beat.

Feds back out doing his warm-up and we're moments away from the second half.

HALF-TIME REPORT

So I doubt many of us will be re-watching that on our Sky+'s later this evening. A scrappy first-half punctuated by a couple efforts on to the post. Reading looking marginally the better side so far but this game is very much in the balance. Hold on to your bobble hats, rumble stix and clappers folks, this is going to be a tense 45 in the second-half.

FIRST-HALF

45+1. Pogrebnyak wins a free-kick on the half way line to set up one final chance for Readng but nothing comes of it and the half-time whistle soon arrives. 0-0 at the break!

42. Danny Williams finds himself in space 35 yards or so from goal but his strike goes comfortably over the bar.

40. Very important block from Michael Hector inside his own six-yard box to deny Jon Stead a tap in.

36. WOODWORK Bradford at it this time. Hector gives away a free-kick 10 yards inside the Reading half, it misses the target but from the second cross flies right through a crowd before hitting Federici's far post. Still 0-0.

28. POST!!!  Mackie looked to have run the ball out of play but was allowed to continue, crosses for Pog who steers a shot on to the post! Replays show the ball probably went out.

25. SNIFF - Good work driving into the box from Danny Williams who's cross-shot is deflected towards the near post but comfortably saved by Ben Williams.

21. Still little in terms of goal mouth action, Reading's first 20 summed up by an awful scuffed cross from Stephen Kelly when in a great position on the byline.

12. Cagey stuff from both sides, no real chances yet on what is (to state the obvious) an atrocious pitch.

5. Pog clearly up for this, first trying to contest a drop ball and then a little bit of a naughty late challenge that thankfully he fails to connect with.

1. CRUNCH - Jamie Mackie goes down clutching his knee in the very first minute and Reading have a free-kick. This one won't be for the faint of heart, free kick is easily dealt with by Bradford.

Teams are out on the pitch, let's do this lads.

THE PITCH

Hardly looking a stunning surface, but as Reading club captain told BT Sport a few minutes ago, the one at the Madejski Stadium hasn't been brilliant this season.

TEAM NEWS:

Plenty of team changes for Reading and Steve Clarke today, notably Chris Gunter dropped to the bench for Stephen Kelly. Oliver Norwood, Danny Williams and Nathaniel Chalobah all start.

McCleary, Yak & Cox all on the bench in what appears to be a 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation for Steve Clarke.

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