Reading 0
Tottenham 1 (Keane 16)

The Royals were beaten 1-0 at home to Tottenham this afternoon, and a valiant battle in the second half was not enough to earn us any points.

Spurs were the better side in the first half, and Robbie Keane deservedly put them ahead on 16 minutes.

They should have been 2-0 up, but Steed Malbranque had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside soon after.

We went 4-3-3 and gave all we could in the second half, and Andre Bikey had a goalbound effort narrowly deflected.

Darren Bent then hit the post, before Spurs keeper Radek Cerny pulled off two absolutely brilliant saves in the dying minutes to keep us at bay.

They were quite stunning stops by the Czech, and we just couldn't find a way through again after that.

It was a hugely frustrating game, and after being off the pace in the opening period, we really had a go in the second half but came up short as we gave our all.

We have to get a result at Derby next week to have a chance of staying up, and we are looking for other scores to go our way as well as we enter a nervy final day of the season.

Reading: Hahnemann; Rosenior (Oster 88), Shorey, Duberry, Ingimarsson (c); Bikey (Matejovsky 65), Harper, Doyle (Long 80), Hunt; Kitson, Lita
Subs: Federici, Cisse, Oster
Booked: Harper (foul 88)

Tottenham: Cerny; Hutton, Gilberto, Woodgate, Dawson; Zokora, Huddlestone (O'Hara 61), Jenas, Malbranque; Bent (Boateng 77), Keane
Subs: Robinson, Chimbonda, Taarabt

Ref: H Webb

Attendance: 24,125

First half
Reading started nice and bright, with a couple of things flashing across the box, but it didn't last too long as Spurs soon settled into their passing rhythm.

Darren Bent had a couple of chances, one header and one shot, but he nodded over then saw an effort saved quite comfortably by Marcus Hahnemann.

Steed Malbranque was a lively influence for the visitors, and had a chance with a backheel, but he was crowded out.

On 16 we went behind, and the goal had been coming. Michael Duberry committed a foul close to the halfway line, but referee Howard Webb played a good advantage, allowing Bent to race forward and slip in Robbie Keane, who finished with quality into the corner.

We quickly tried to get back into it, and Leroy Lita turned in a shot that was fired over the crossbar.

Keane almost had a second soon after, but Hahnemann made a good save from his 20-yard free kick.

We had a huge let-off just before the half hour when Malbranque had the ball in the back of the net, and the flag went up even though he was a yard onside. It was a very fortunate break indeed and would probably have put the game out of sight.

Unusually, Steve Coppell came down to the dugout from his Director's Box seat, and we went to a 4-3-3 with Kevin Doyle moving from the right wing to up front.

The tactical switch meant the game was very open, with plenty of space all round, especially for Spurs in wide areas.

There was another let-off when Nicky Shorey played a poor pass on halfway, and Bent raced forward but again couldn't capitalise on the opportunity.

Stephen Hunt had half a chance ten minutes before the break, but didn't find the quality to hit the target from 20 yards as it dropped on his left foot.

Another bright Spurs move saw Keane get a chance before the break, but Liam Rosenior put in a very good tackle.

Second half
Spurs had a cracking chance early in the period, with Keane onside and in acres. He shot across goal, and Malbranque slid in at the back post but hit the side netting.

Then Shorey had to put in another last-ditch tackle, this time as Bent prepared to unleash.

Gradually, Reading began to up the tempo a little. Lita looked the biggest threat, and got in down the left but wanted support that wasn't there.

The crowd were giving their utmost, and doing everything they could to get behind the team.

Andre Bikey was desperately unlucky not to make it 1-1, firing in an effort that was definitely going on, only to see it deflected off Didiez Zokora and over.

The big Cameroonian had played well in midfield, but was forced off injured soon afterwards.

His replacement Marek Matejovsky was desperately close to pulling us level, sidefooting no more than a foot wide from the edge of the area with the keeper scrambling.

We were doing everything we could, and James Harper was inches away from putting Lita in with a wonderfully inventive reverse ball that was just overhit.

Despite our pressure, we nearly got caught on the break, with Bent smashing an effort past Hahnemann but off the post and across the face of goal.

Ivar Ingimarsson tried his luck from 25 yards, and Radek Cerny almost gave Doyle a chance with a spillage.

Rosenior had half a shout for a penalty, but it was definitely ball to hand by sub Jamie O'Hara inside the box.

With less than five minutes to go, a brilliant save from Cerny denied Dave Kitson at the near post. It was a quite stunning stop, right out of the top drawer.

Then, unbelievably, Cerny pulled off another brilliant save, this time to deny Rosenior as he unleashed in the area.

They were two superb stops, and he had to be out sharply again a moment later to deny Lita as he closed in.

Injury time didn't see any clear chances, and as the final whistle came, we dropped into the bottom three.

We'd had a go in the second half, but it wasn't enough in the end, and we go to Derby next week with nerves aplenty.

The endeavour was certainly there, especially in the second half, but Spurs' first half showing gave us too much to do.

We need a result at Pride Park to give ourselves a chance, and simply, if we win and Fulham don't, we will be safe