At the final whistle a scuffle broke out on the halfway line which pretty much summed the evening up. It was a scrappy ill-tempered affair in which either side could have come away with three points, but probably neither deserved. With a foul committed at rate of approximately one every three minutes the referee must take some responsibility for the lack of discipline by failing, in spite of showing City five yellow cards, to take control of the game. Players were allowed steal a few yards at most throw-ins, a blatant dive went unpunished, and an injured City player took over a minute to meander off the pitch instead of leaving at the nearest point.

Expectations were high for Reading fans with their team fresh from an impressive away win at Wigan and City struggling at the wrong end of the table. Reading dominated possession, and City pressed in midfield and sat deep, frustrating their attempts to create chances. Wing and Knibbs had shots blocked in the opening minutes and Garcia was brought down outside the box. From the free kick Savage teed up Wing who was way off target. Garcia was frequently involved going forward but was either unceremoniously stopped or gave the ball away with a poor choice of passing option.

Bodin had a shot pushed away by Whitworth and Wing tested the City 'keeper with a shot wide on the right after a rare sharp exchange of passes around the box. City had looked threatening on the break before the interval, but they really signalled their intention to get stuck into Reading spell at the beginning of the second half, picking up three yellow cards in five-minutes. City's tactics bore fruit and Reading looked shaky at the back as City's direct play required some desperate defending at times. Mbengue deflected the ball on to the bar and several attempts, as often this season, were blocked by a Reading defence quick to protect their goal.

Ehibhatiomhan came on and caused problems the City defence on the left wing, twice using his pace to get past the full back as Reading tried to impose themselves on the game. With all the substitutions and lengthy stoppages to treat City players, eight minutes of additional time were played. Both sides fancied their chances of snatching a winner. The best effort came from Wing from outside the box which Whitworth saved well getting down quickly to push the ball away.

Reading looked slightly below par and with Knibbs and Wing not firing on all cylinders, and Wareham marked out of the game, they rarely threatened a solid City defence urged on by manager Gary Caldwell who disputed virtually every decision and had histrionics when decisions went against his team. Exeter fans were clearly happy with an away point. Reading will need to play better than this when Sam Smith returns with high flying Wrexham next Tuesday, and they probably will. Unbeaten in seven they should fear no team in League One especially at home.

John Wells