Reading 0-0 Burnley: Stalemate at the Madejski

Burnley's hopes of challenging for automatic promotion from the Sky Bet Championship suffered a jolt when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Reading at the Madejski Stadium.

Though Burnley extended their undefeated league run to eight matches, they paid the price for missing a 59th-minute penalty, when Andre Gray's spot-kick was spectacularly saved by home goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi.

Reading also threatened in an open contest, with Yann Kermorgant and Paul McShane both going close either side of half-time.

Burnley went into the match in decent form, unbeaten in seven league games and having registered six wins from their past nine.

The Clarets suffered their last Championship defeat at Hull on Boxing Day, when they lost 3-0, while Reading were drifting in mid-table obscurity, 14 points off the play-offs and 11 from the relegation zone.

Burnley should have been ahead after just three minutes when George Boyd escaped on the left flank, cut to the byline and crossed into the home area.

Gray has scored 18 goals this season, including two for Brentford in August, but blazed over from only three yards out.

Reading responded positively, with Hal Robson-Kanu making a nuisance of himself on the right wing with a series of fine crosses.

But Reading had no one in the middle able to get a final touch - as happened when Kermorgant flung another cross into the Burnley box.

However, they almost went in front when Kermorgant rose to meet yet another Robson-Kanu cross.

The French striker headed downwards and powerfully at the far post but Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton made an excellent smothering save.

Burnley pushed forward, mainly through the probing of Joey Barton, but Boyd and Gray wasted promising openings.

The sides traded blows early in the second half. Reading's McShane had a header blocked on the goal-line, Gray missed a close-range chance from a Matt Lowton cross and Al-Habsi pushed a David Jones free-kick onto the post.

The game exploded into life when Gray ran through, bypassed Al-Habsi then appeared to fall too easily.

Al-Habsi and many of the other Reading players accused Gray of diving and protested furiously to referee James Adcock.

Robson-Kanu was booked for kicking the ball off the penalty spot, then scuffing the spot, but Gray's penalty, though powerfully struck, was superbly saved by Al-Habsi.

Relieved at their good fortune and Al-Habsi's expertise, Reading attempted to make the most of it. But Robson-Kanu and Kermorgant both squandered good chances and the game petered out into a draw.