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Reading 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Not exactly a great start to the new year in terms of weather, but Reading eventually brightened spirits with a last gasp goal to secure a point against promotion contenders Nottingham Forest.

Reading looked lacklustre for almost the entire game, allowing former player Greg Halford to score with 10 minutes of the first half remaining. Putting away an Andy Reid free-kick with a looping header into the top-left corner of the net. In the second half Matt Derbyshire had two opportunities to seal the win for the away side, but both times fired wide right of the goal.

Nick Blackman looked the liveliest player on the pitch in the first half and this continued far into the second until the addition of Royston Drenthe seemed to spark something in Reading. A fierce Guthrie shot from the edge of the area signalled the start of the Reading onslaught but it wasn't until the 95th minute when Matt Derbyshire fouled Gunter that Reading managed to get a decent ball into the box. For the phases of play before this Reading had been lifting the ball from just inside the Forest half trying to find Pogrebnyak, who was marked by about 3 men at all times, and it just wasn't working. Royston Drenthe stepped up for the free-kick and put a beautiful ball right onto Stephen Kelly's head, who scored his first goal for the club.

Even with the point it was a dire performance, and things need to get better quickly otherwise we'll continue falling down the table. In the last five minutes the team began to play quick passing football - but also football that went forwards! It's just getting them to play the same in the remaining 85 minutes and we'd make a great side.

Huge shout to Nick Blackman who was easily our best player, had a few nice runs and a couple of fierce shots. Still needs to work on his crossing - especially if Adkins is going to keep playing him as a winger - but hopefully that will improve.

Finally it sounds like ALF is off during the transfer window given his interview with Tim Dellor after the match and the response from Adkins following it. I can't understand why you'd let our leading goalscorer walk out of the club so easily, especially when Billy Sharp really has no form at all - and he's going back to Southampton tomorrow - so let's hope Adkins will play a bit more coy when it comes to talking to ALF. I can't see the transfer window being hugely successful for us but I'm willing to be proved wrong. It'll be an interesting month though, that's for sure.

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