Liverpool 2 (Mascherano 19, Torres 48)
Reading 1 (Matejovsky 5)

Reading put in a sterling performance against Liverpool today, but were ultimately edged out in a hugely frustrating encounter at Anfield.

Marek Matejovsky got his first Reading goal after five minutes, and it was a brilliant strike, walloping home on the half volley from 25 yards off the underside of the bar after Oster rolled a free kick to him. The decision to penalise the initial challenge was somewhat debatable, but the referee regularly found himself in the thick of the action.

We had two great chances to futher extend that lead, and Shane Long was guilty of a wasteful pass when he should have put John Oster in.

We were made to pay when Javier Mascherano lashed home a brilliant equaliser on 19, and Marcus Hahnemann also had to make some good saves.

Fernando Torres made it 2-1 just after the break, again from a dubious free kick, and the second half was incredibly frustrating to watch, mainly down to a series of punctuations.

Time and again referee Andre Marriner incurred the wrath of our players for what they saw as decisions that favoured the home side. On more than one occasion he was also perhaps drawn in by the home players' reaction to challenges and what could be seen as a failure to stay on their feet.

Long was regularly and harshly penalised whenever challenging Martin Skrtel, and the striker allowed his frustration to boil over when he threw his shirt to the ground after being substituted, and Steve Coppell was clearly unhappy with him. The youngster quickly apologised after the game and said he meant no disrespect.

Gerrard incurred the wrath of our travelling support after going over under the merest of challenges from Andre Bikey, and the Liverpool captain was guilty of a highly questionable reaction when squaring up to our defender.

There was simply no flow to the second half, and we could have been given two penalties. Both would probably have been harsh, and hugely unpopular in front of the Kop, first when Jamie Carragher challenged Kevin Doyle, then when the ball struck Gerrard's arm in the box.

Overall we can be proud of our display, and it gives us hope for the final games, but unfortunately no more points.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Reina; Arbeloa, Aurelio, Carragher, Skrtel; Alonso, Mascherano; Gerrard (Hyypia 90), Kuyt (Benayoun 80), Babel; Torres
Subs: Itandje, Riise, Hyypia, Crouch

Reading (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Rosenior, Shorey, Bikey, Ingimarsson (c); Harper, Matejovsky (Cisse 74), Oster (Kebe 72), Hunt; Doyle, Long (Kitson 63)
Subs: Federici, Sonko
Booked: Hunt (foul 59), Ingimarsson (foul 65), BIkey (foul 79), Cisse (foul 87)

Referee: A Marriner

Attendance: 43,524

First half
Reading started brilliantly, and had already got into great positions twice before we went in front.

With five minutes on the clock, Stephen Hunt was awarded a very generous free kick down our left wing. John Oster took it, and rolled it across the edge of the box, where Marek Matejovsky lashed home an absolutely brilliant half volley from fully 25 yards.

It was a sensational goal, flying in off the underside of the bar, giving Jose Reina absolutely no chance; an incredible way for Matejovsky to score his first goal in a Reading shirt.

Immediately, the Czech almost had another goal after skipping past one challenge, but Jamie Carragher got a decisive block in.

Liverpool then tried to respond, and Xabi Alonso's mishit cross clipped the top of the bar. Then Marcus Hahnemann was out very sharply to deny the onrushing Fernando Torres.

In the space of two minutes, Reading had two great opportunities to extend their lead. First Matejovsky almost slipped Oster in, but the pass was fractionally overhit.

Then seconds later Shane Long had an even better opportunity to give Oster a free run at goal, but badly miscued his pass. Steve Coppell visibly groaned in the stand, and he was right to rue the wasted chance, because the home side equalised within a minute.

Javier Mascherano had never scored for Liverpool, but danced past Hunt in a central area. He looked up, picked his spot and smashed past Hahnemann from 25 yards for the second great goal of the game.

The equaliser sparked ten minutes or so of Liverpool possession, with Ryan Babel going close three times. First he shot over, then Hahnemann saved well. Finally the Dutchman then had a goal rightly disallowed for offside after heading home Steven Gerrard's cross. Moments later Dirk Kuyt put a volley over following an intricate Liverpool passing move.

Alonso shot inches wide just before the break, but we had ridden the storm reasonably well.

Second half
In a strange symmetry to the first half, a debatable free kick led to an early goal at the Anfield Road end. Torres crumbled to the ground, and not for the first time our fans were very disappointed with the Spaniard.

Gerrard took the free kick, and Torres got between Andre Bikey and Kevin Doyle to head home with aplomb.

Reading tried to get back in the game, but the task was made no easier by a series of decisions that caused our players huge frustration. They were finding it hard to get much in their favour.

Mascherano won one free kick when there was clearly no contact made, and we again looked very hard done by when Ivar Ingimarsson was booked for a challenge on Gerrard, then Alvaro Arbeloa escaped a caution for an identical challenge seconds later.

Long had been very much frustrated by the officials, consistently punished whenever he went near Martin Skrtel. Many times the decisions were hugely debatable to say the least.

The Irishman was taken off just after the hour, and showed his disappointment with how the afternoon had gone by throwing his shirt to the ground in the dugout. Steve Coppell was clearly not happy, and made his feelings known.

On 64, Babel got in behind Liam Rosenior for the first time, and shot narrowly over. A moment later, a loose backpass from Ingimarsson forced Hahnemann to come off his line smartly and beat Gerrard to the bouncing ball.

Liverpool were having more play in the final third, and Hahnemann had to make another good save to deby Fabio Aurelio's rasper.

With 15 minutes left, Doyle had half a penalty shout, but the referee was probably right not to give anything against Carragher, although he did have his hands on him.

Next to berate the referee was Bikey, when Gerrard went over despite minimal contact from our defender's shoulder. The Liverpool skipper then enraged our fans by having what they saw as the temerity to square up to Bikey.

With seconds left, sub Dave Kitson's shot hit Gerrard's arms inside the box, and although it was accidental, you have seen them given for a lot less. Our players surrounded the ref, but in front of the Kop there was sadly no surprise when nothing was given.

In injury time, Hahnemann went up for a free kick, and after the ball broke to Alonso, he shot toward the open goal from fully 70 yards but it sailed just wide.

Reading had really given their all, and although Liverpool are clearly a top side, our chances of getting into the game were regularly left frustrated. It is always difficult at Anfield, but a lot of obstacles seemed to be put in our way.

Even so, we can take heart from another good performance, and Liverpool will certainly know they have been in a tough game and it required many millions of pounds of talent to see off our battling Royals.