It is something of a barometer of our progress - or lack thereof - thus far this season that a two goal lead blown in the final twenty minutes of the match is rather ludicrously referred to as "a point gained" by the manager in his post-match comments. Such a mentality in the dug-out can only develop a mindset within the playing squad that so long as there is a hard-work ethic on the field then our very many deficiencies in seemingly most areas of the park can be overcome simply by rolling up our sleeves and grinding. The sad fact is that Reading players worked themselves into the ground, managing only 29% of the possession on the day and but for a generous piece of refereeing from the usually unsympathetic Mike Dean would have come home from Wales without absolutely nothing to share for their usual honest endeavours once again.

The last time Reading met Swansea it was a famous ocassion on which one side fouind themselves in a seemingly unassailable position at half time only to be hanging on for dear life during the second half. This time the boot was on the other foot as Reading saw unlikely and unfamiliar daylight at the break. By the end though they were hanging on for a point which was more like daylight robbery. Alex McCarthy had a blinder. Within the opening quarter of an hour, our young 'keeper set the tone for an impressive personal display by firstly tipping over Graham's looping header and then denying Routledge's stabbed effort after a typically fluid Swansea move sliced Reading open. This felt like the first 45 minutes of Wembley 2011 with the Swans cutting through us seemingly at will but on this ocassion Reading took both of the presentable chances which came their way before the break and duly led.

Unlike against Newcasle last weekend when we were on the front-foot throughout, our wingers on this ocassion looked as disinterested as a Liberal Democrat party conference delegate and they contributed very little between them other than McAnuff's through-ball on the half hour which Pogrebnyak hit first time with a fierce but saveable angled drive. Swansea 'keeper Worm made a real hash of his first piece of work of the afternoon and the ball slipped under his body. So impressive last season in the Premier League, on the evidence of the uncertainty he showed throughout this particular afternoon it could perhaps be a case of 'the Worm that turned'. The away support felt felt even more sheepish by half time as McCarthy's long punted freekick caused chaos with firstly Kebe and then Hunt failing to get a decisive touch before an ambitious effort on goal from outside the box was deflected to the feet of Hunt once more and the game of pinball was concluded with an instinctive firmly struck arcing effort into the far corner. It was perhaps appropriate on our trip to Wales that we were enjoying a 'Rarebit' of luck but Reading were frankly unworthy 2-0 leaders at the break and they now had to take full advantage of their position.

What they failed to do however in that second half was retain meaningful possession. Against a side coming off the back of 3 league losses on the spin and whose confidence will have been fading fast given their failure to turn their first half pressure into an advantage, we utterly lacked the guile and composure to keep hold of the ball in order to frustrate the home side and see out the afternoon. Tabb and Karacan is a curious choice for a midfield partnership, both are little ankle-biters who will commit to every challenge but neither is the most able in terms of retaining possession. Consequently we found Swansea passing the ball in neat triangles in front of us, trying to pick their killer passes for Dyer and Routledge and the relentless pressure eventually told. Before the implosion though we had the McCarthy show; a right footed reaction-save to deny Moore after Gorkss was familiarly left for dead, a Moore free-header pushed onto the inside of the upright - again, where was Gorkss? - and an excellent low one-handed save round the post to deny Ki. Adam who?

The goal was coming and you felt that once Swansea got one then the tiring, hard-running Reading team would likely concede two or three. The first came about following a free kick rolled out to the right flank, we gamley attempted to apply pressure but Swansea eventually worked the ball back to Routledge whose first time cross was deflected through sheer weight of Reading bodies behind the ball and Michu reacted first to plunge an unstoppable header home. It took less than ten minutes for the inevitable equaliser to arrive. It was sloppy play from Kebe giving away possession - we have seen this time and time again from him - and a neat one-two between Routledge and Moore resulted in the former striding clear to smash past McCarthy. We had - one way or another - stood firm for so long but for the third time in our six league games we had lallowed a lead slip. Not good enough, and very few teams will survive such profligacy at this punishing level.

Generously, referee Dean waved away a loud handball penalty shout against a guilty-looking Shorey, but to be fair to Reading they generally rallied somewhat in the closing dozen minutes and had the better chances on the break. From an HRK cross Worm once again flapped and Karacan turned a header towards goal which was turned away off the line ultimately rather comfortably by Wales captain Williams. The unimpressive Kebe snatched at a half chance in the dying seconds and substitute Roberts contributed little other than a petulant booking for quibbling over the precise location of a freekick. The opportunity had been wasted of recording that first win and with it pulling Swansea down into the thickening mire at the bottom. At the end of a hardworking afternoon in the Land of my Fathers we frankly look farther away than ever from a three point haul.
Neil Maskell

Any point is a good point in this league as far as I'm concerned. Yes we led by 2 goals and shouldn't be throwing games away like we did today, but the fact we were pretty poor from start to finish today and still managed to score twice and pick up a point is a good sign. I'm still confident that if we can get to January and still be just outside the relegation zone we'll buy a few players and they'll do enough just to keep us up. On another note, I was a big Fedders fan and didn't see what all the fuss was about McCarthy, but will happily admit that my opinion has now changed. McCarthy has been brilliant since coming into the side and should now be the clubs number 1.
RoyalJames101

We are playing the same game plan as last year which relies on keeping it tight & a work ethic. We never really controlled or dominated games last year & rode our luck at times, but our wing play & tight defence meant we just about came out on top more often than not, even when we didn't deserve it sometimes (Brighton away?). With (largely) the same personnel facing significantly better opposition we can't rely on that opposition giving the ball back if/when we concede possession & can expect to be punished more by better forward lines. We built a head of steam up to get promotion & team spirit carried us over the line, but were we really THAT good? Let's face it - we overperformed, and BMcD should have noted the obvious weak areas & recognised that there are clearly personnel that needed strengthening to compete in the PL.

The fact that Karacan & Tabb was regarded as an option against a team that retain the ball so well & can pass their way round a rigid 4-4-2 is odd in itself. Yesterday we needed to retain the ball, stifle Swansea & counter attack, but even defending a fortunate 2 goal lead we kept 2 strikers on, kept giving the ball back & invited them onto us in waves. I understand we are going to be outplayed in some of these games. But why try to "impose your identity" when 2-0 up? Get a midfielder on who can keep the ball & close the game out. If we don't learn & learn fast we won't be in a position to attract the players we need in January to give us a chance of staying up.
The Prisioner

The game as a whole wasn't bad in the end, our tactics seemed in the first half to just let them play and then get the ball hoof it up to Pog and get him score, which would have been the wrong tactics had McCarthy not been having the game of his life, saying that Swansea were poor in the final third. In the second half the goal had been coming and McCarthy had to be beaten at some point. We seemed at that point scared of pressing forward in fear of being caught on the break, Kebe in the lead up to the second goal was desperate for support but nobody wanted to come with him going forward and hence we lost the ball and conceded anyway. In Brian I trust however his first two subs today were obvious and had no impact on the game the third should have been done at 2-2 as I think we could of snatched a winner with HRK on the pitch. As for the officials M Dean had a good game but was let down by a change of assistants who were inexperienced and unfortunately it showed.
parky

Reading were struggling to get to grips with the game and only the imposing figure of Pogrebnyak offered any relief for the hard-pressed Royals, as the striker used his strength to hold the ball up.

The Russian's appetite for hard-work was rewarded as he gave Reading the lead completely against the run of play, taking Jobi McAnuff's pass down the left channel and watching his shot squirt under Vorm and into the Swansea goal.

Reading then delivered a hammer blow a minute before half-time as Hunt doubled the visitors' lead with their second shot on target...

McCarthy's superb afternoon continued as the keeper instinctively stuck out a hand to parry Ki Sung-Yeung's deflected shot, then saved low to his right to keep out Williams' header from the resulting corner.

Reading's resistance was finally broken 17 minutes from time as Routledge's cross took a slight deflection and Michu flew in at the back post to send a diving header into the net.

Swansea surged foward and within seven minutes Routledge got the goal his efforts deserved, exchanging passes with Moore before smashing home an unstoppable equaliser.
BBC Sport

Brian McDermott was adamant his Reading team had gained a point rather than lost two after they sacrificed a two-goal lead to draw at Swansea.

The Royals went ahead in the 31st minute when Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm allowed a Pavel Pogrebnyak shot to squirm beneath him and they doubled their advantage a minute before the break thanks to Noel Hunt's volley.

The hosts had been the better side in the opening half, though, and continued to press after the interval, with Michu's header reducing the deficit in the 71st minute before Wayne Routledge slammed home an equaliser seven minutes later. Swansea were also thwarted by a string of excellent saves from Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy and had claims that Nicky Shorey had handled in the box waved away by referee Mike Dean.

The drama then continued as Royals midfielder Jem Karacan had a 90th-minute header cleared off the line by Swansea skipper Ashley Williams.

The final outcome meant McDermott's men are still without a top-flight win this term after six games but post-match the manager was not complaining too much about a potential victory squandered.

"I know what happened in that second half," McDermott said. "Our goalkeeper has pulled off some fantastic saves, Swansea played really well and that is a point gained for us. I couldn't tell you how many, but I do know he [McCarthy] has made some fantastic saves. So at 2-0, we have got to 70 minutes, but we are just sort of waiting for something to happen on their behalf.

"We need to affect the game better than we did in the second half. But having said that, that is a good point gained here." That point – Reading now have three – did in fact take the Royals out of the relegation zone but, asked about his side's league position, McDermott said: "I'm not overly concerned about that at the moment. Obviously it is good to climb up the table, but I just think that is definitely a point gained."
The Guardian