Hull City 1 Reading 1

Little spares Reading blushes with late strike

These two sides had conceded just 18 goals in their 26 league fixtures - make that 20 in 28 now - and even though Reading were much the better side Hull City did enough to claim a point.

Hull went ahead early in the second half, courtesy of Chris Brown's strike, with a Glen Little header bringing Reading level with 15 minutes remaining.

Reading began with a flurry of corners as Hull were penned inside their own half. Yet for all their possession, the first genuine opportunity they created stemmed from a long punt forward. Leroy Lita escaped from Damien Delaney and Boaz Myhill had to palm his drive away.

Hull were less than adventurous, doubtless partly because Reading are a team who break with great pace. Little illustrated as much on the half hour, leaving the Hull defence behind before delivering a low cross that Kevin Doyle looked certain to convert until Leon Cort's intervention.

Immediately after the break Doyle turned provider, putting an inviting cross into the path of Lita who should have ended his six-game goal drought from close range.

Hull had come nowhere near a goal themselves at this stage until Cort headed a corner on to the cross bar, with Reading only able to clear partially. When the ball was delivered back into the middle Brown was there to turn it home.

Reading were not behind for long. John Oster had been on the field for only five minutes when he provided Little with a deep cross from the left wing. The midfielder's header back across goal duly brought Reading level. It was the least they deserved.

Hull City (4-4-2): Myhill; France, Cort, Delaney, Lynch; Green (Elliot, 76), Welsh, Woodhouse, Ellison; Fagan (Burgess, 79), Brown. Substitutes not used: Duke (gk), Joseph, Barmby.

Reading (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Makin, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey; Little, Gunnarsson, Harper, Convey (Oster, 70); Lita (Kitson, 70), Doyle. Substitutes not used: Stack (gk), Sidwell, Hunt.

Referee: G Laws (Tyne & Wear).