Reading 1 (Henry 26)
West Ham 1 (Cole 82)

Carlton Cole's late equaliser denied our reserves victory over West Ham this evening.

James Henry had scored direct from a wide free kick to give us the lead in the first half, but Cole scored a top drawer finish from 30-plus yards in the closing stages after Adam Federici couldn't get a full contact on his clearance.

It was probably a fair result, although we had the best chances as two strong sides played out a keenly-contested game.

Reading gave a debut to Liam Rosenior, and he put in a solid performance at right back. It was his first full 90 minutes for around six weeks, and the former Fulham looks to be settling in.

Dave Kitson and Leroy Lita also played the full 90, and linked up well, especially in the first half. Kitson smashed one effort against the post, while Lita had a couple of one-on-ones but found Hammers keeper Jimmy Walker hard to beat.

Giovanni Sio played for us on the left wing, but the triallist ex-Nantes man only got an hour.

The Hammers improved after the break, with the introduction of half time sub Cole proving crucial. Dean Ashton played the full game, while Christian Dailly and Luis Boa Morte also lined up.

It was an entertaining match, and both teams put together good spells in front of a decent crowd at Aldershot's Recreation Ground.

Full highlights will be on Reading World on Wednesday.

Reading: Federici; Rosenior, Golbourne, Halls, Pearce (c); Karacan, Sigurdsson, Henry, Sio (Bignall 59); Kitson, Lita
Subs: Kitteridge, Spence, P Cox, Illugason
Booked: Karacan (foul 67), Kitson (dissent 87)

West Ham: Walker; Pantsil, Miller, Dailly, Ngala; Collison (c), Stokes, Reid, Boa Morte; Ashton, Hines (Cole HT)
Subs: Blackmore, Jeffery, Hales, Blackwell
Booked: Dailly (dissent 87)

Ref: A Halliday

First half
Triallist Giovanni Sio was trying hard to make an impression, and perhaps nerves got the better of him in the sixth minute when he could only produce a complete airshot in a very good position inside the box.

West Ham had their first foray forward on 12, with Dean Ashton making a clever run to beat John Halls' offside trap. The former Crewe frontman turned in an excellent cross, but Adam Federici's save was even better from Zavon Hines' header.

With a quarter of an hour gone, James Henry cut inside well and only a good low stop from James Walker kept his effort out.

A minute later the former Walsall keeper, who played in our play-off final in 2001, produced another good low save, this time denying Gylfi Sigurdsson's deflected effort.

Good work from Dave Kitson gave Henry half a chance, but again it was Walker who saved, although it was comfortable. Kitson was looking to drop deep and get involved in the play, linking things nicely from wide.

One such run from the flame-haired frontman won a free kick down the left on 26, with two Hammers defenders having no option but to scythe him down. Henry whipped in a good free kick, and it flummoxed both Walker in goal and the retreating defence, nestling into the corner of the net for a deserved lead.

Two minutes later Leroy Lita was given a clear run at goal after Sio blocked a clearance, but the frontman could only shoot straight at Walker, and a decent chance had gone.

Lita and Kitson were linking up nicely, and one excellent dummy from Kits almost put his partner clean in.

It was Kitson again who broke the offside trap on 34 minutes, and he was desperately unlucky not to score, seeing his thunderous effort crash back off the upright and into the arms of the grateful Walker.

A moment later good play by Ashton allowed him to turn away from Alex Pearce, and he in turn found Kyel Reid but his excellent strike went a couple of feet over.

Not long before the break Reading nearly made it 2-0. Henry's excellent set piece saw Pearce get the faintest of touches on a header, but sadly it went straight at Walker. Anywhere else and it was a goal.

It had been an entertaining 45 minutes, and Brian McDermott's men deserved to be ahead, having offered far more going forward.

Second half
The Hammers brought on Carlton Cole at half time, and the question was why he had not been employed earlier.

But, it was Reading who created the first chance, a brilliant long ball from Liam Rosenior putting Lita in on goal, only for the striker to shoot straight at Walker.

Rosenior then produced another very good bit of skill down the right, and there was half a handball shout from his cross, but nothing was given.

He still had his defensive duties to do though, and a minute later put in a very good block to deny the advancing Reid.

Reading looked good down the right, and nice play from Henry gave Sio some space in the area, but the winger couldn't take it down.

The former Nantes man had only shown flashes of his ability, and was replaced by Nicholas Bignall just before the hour.

With 65 gone Kitson was only a foot or two away from an absolute cracker, rasping a 25-yarder that Walker could only watch as it went just over his bar.

United were coming more into the game though, and Cole could have done better with a header but it came off the side of his head. The former Chelsea man was a threat though, and Jem Karacan was booked for a shirt pull as he broke clear.

It was Cole who gave West Ham an equaliser with eight minutes to go.

Federici kicked clear from the edge of his own box, but didn't connect properly and it went more up than out. The danger still looked to have been cleared as it fell in a melee of bodies, but it somehow came to Cole 30-plus yards out, and with Federici perhaps out of position he unleashed a cracking curler into the back of the net.

Reading quickly looked to get back in front, and Sigurdsson threaded a very good ball for sub Nicholas Bignall, but his cross-cum-shot flew across goal.

Kitson and Christian Dailly were booked late on for what can best be described as handbags, and Cole had half a chance from Halls' loose touch but Federici saved.

It soon ended, and it was a decent game, with a draw a fair reflection, although it was Reading who had far more chances.

There was plenty of entertainment, and the decent-sized crowd were kept interested, with the likes of George Burley, Phil Parkinson, Kevin Dillon and Nick Hammond watching closely.