Source: Northern_Echo
Boro play-off hopes dented by another home draw
MIDDLESBROUGH'S faltering play-off hopes suffered another blow this afternoon as they threw away a one-goal lead to draw with Reading.[LNB] David Wheater's 63rd-minute own goal cancelled out Chris Killen's second-half header and ensured the Teessiders would extend their winless run to four matches.[LNB] Chances were few and far between during a lifeless first half, but Brad Jones justified his surprise recall in favour of Danny Coyne with a smart 30th-minute stop.[LNB] Jobi McAnuff crossed from the left flank, and Jones hurled himself to his left to claw away Shane Long's close-range header.[LNB] Boro created little of note before the break, but they didn't have to wait long to break the deadlock after the interval.[LNB] Only 75 seconds had elapsed when Justin Hoyte slung over a deep cross from the right, and Killen held off the attentions of Matt Mills to loop a ten-yard header past Adam Federici.[LNB] Barry Robson tested Federici again with a long-range effort on the hour mark, but Reading were level three minutes later as Wheater scored in his own net.[LNB] Jimmy Kebe surged past Emanuel Pogatetz to reach the goalline, and Wheater stabbed the winger's driven low cross past a helpless Jones from inside the six-yard box.[LNB] MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2): Jones; Hoyte (Naughton 66), Wheater, Grounds, Pogatetz; Robson, O'Neil, Arca, Franks (Emnes 87); McDonald (Lita 74), Killen.[LNB] (not used): Coyne (gk), Taylor, Riggott, Miller.[LNB] READING (4-5-1): Federici; Griffin, Mills, Ingimarsson (Khizanishvili 90), Bertrand; Kebe, Tabb, Sigurdsson, Howard, McAnuff; Long.[LNB] Subs (not used): Harper (gk), Gunnarsson, Matejovsky, Robson-Kanu, Church, Rasiak.[LNB]
