Reading 0 Wolves 0 - Report and pictures

They again failed to claim the three points their very faint play-off hopes so sorely needed.

But where they were disjointed, haphazard and lifeless against Bolton, here they were balanced, energetic and positive.

It was almost the ideal away performance, with a change in formation and personnel making them solid at the back and lively on the break.

However a clinical final touch - or a defence-splitting final pass, the kind that Jordan Graham was providing for fun before his unfortunate injury - evaded them.

They certainly had their chances to win it, James Henry and Bjorn Sigurdarson going the closest. Wolves had to settle, though, for a point that does their top-six prospects little good.

Boss Kenny Jackett made two changes from the team that had throw a two-goal lead away in the huge disappointing draw with Bolton on Tuesday.

One of them certainly raised an eyebrow, with new £3million signing Joe Mason dropped to the bench in a rejigged formation.

His fellow goalscorer in the Bolton draw, former Reading man Henry, and midfielder George Saville replaced Mason and Tommy Rowe.

Reading (4-4-2): Al Habsi; Gunter, McShane (c), Cooper, Obita; McCleary (John 58), Norwood, Williams, Robson-Kanu; Vydra (Rakels 79), Kermorgant.

Subs not used: Bond, Ferdinand, Quinn, Piazon, Hector.

Wolves (4-3-3): Ikeme; Iorfa, Batth (c), Ebanks-Landell, Doherty; Coady, McDonald, Saville; Van La Parra (Byrne 79), Sigurdarson, Henry.

Subs not used: McCarey, Deslandes, Price, Rowe, Mason, Le Fondre.

Attendance: 17,771 (1,805 Wolves fans)

Saville, who spent time on loan at Millwall earlier this season, made his first league start in Wolves colours for the first time since November 2014.

It came in a 4-3-3 system that saw Henry and Rajiv van La Parra regularly interchange on the flanks.

Reading started brighter, although they failed to test goalkeeper Carl Ikeme despite having chances in and around the box in the early stages.

Wolves fell asleep from a throw on the right - Garath McCleary raced to the byline and cut back for Hal Robson-Kanu, with only a superb last-ditch block from Danny Batth preventing what looked a certain goal.

Jackett's team then began to get their passing range going and were inches away from taking the lead through Henry, who set his sights from 20 yards with a shot that was just inches past the post.

Matt Doherty then got to the byline down the left and crossed towards Henry, with the ball ricocheting behind for a goal kick.

Saville was impressing in midfield, covering well and pressing Reading's midfielder back when he could.

The former Chelsea midfielder blocked an Oliver Norwood shot and then Yann Kermorgant - a transfer target for Wolves in January - saw an effort deflected wide.

Neither team was able to dominate the other in what was a gentle paced first-half.

Bjorn Sigurdarson looked to break the deadlock with an audacious attempt from a very tight angle on the right, forcing Ali Al Habsi to tip over his crossbar.

Then the goalkeeper was called upon to make an even better save, turning Henry's goal-bound free kick from near the right corner of the penalty area around the post.

Wolves were far more balanced - and enjoying more possession - than on Tuesday, but a clinical final ball was absent.

Batth and Ethan Ebanks-Landell were solid at the back, making several important tackles and blocks, in what was a fairly uneventful first 45 minutes at a wet and windy Madejski.

Just four minutes into the second-half, though, Wolves should have been in front.

From a raking Conor Coady ball, centre half Jake Cooper and Al Habsi crossed wires, with the defender heading it back into his own box over the goalkeeper.

Henry was there, but delayed his shot towards the open goal slightly, and Al Habsi scrambled back to make a desperate save. The ball came out to McDonald who lashed a vicious 20-yarder wide.

Back came Reading through former Albion man Matej Vydra who curled a decent effort wide from range.

Then Norwood was a whisker away from scoring with a shot from the edge of the area as the hosts began to ramp up the pressure.

Again the pendulum swung Wolves' way. Coady drove a decent effort wide, and then a Saville corner dropped to Ebanks-Landell who crashed the bouncing ball a yard over from near the penalty spot.

With 20 minutes to go the game began to peter out. "Kenny, make a change" was the chant from the away end - and just minutes later on came Nathan Byrne for van La Parra.

Wolves picked up the pace, with just their pinpoint final ball lacking as a Henry cross was cleared in front of Sigurdarson.

A corner was cleared to Ebanks-Landell who drove wide from outside the box.

Then Sigurdarson bursts into life, jinking his way into the box before being denied by a wonderful last-second block by McShane with the goal gaping.

Both teams pushed forward to win it late on, with Reading going closest through Kermorgant who volleyed wide, but 0-0 it finished.