READING FC'S winless run in the Championship stretched to five matches after a bore draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Madejski Stadium, writes Anthony Smith.

Royals huffed and puffed for 90 minutes today, but lacked any real quality in the final third.

Brian McDermott's men did see a strong penalty shout turned down late on when new signing Deniss Rakels collided with Ethan Ebanks-Landell no more than six yards out.

But Wolves created the better chances overall, though they could not find a way past Ali Al Habsi in the Reading goal.

The Oman stopper pulled off a succession of fine saves, most of them to deny ex-Royal James Henry.

Reading have now taken a mere nine points from the last 36 on offer and the season is quickly drifting into one of mid-table mediocrity.

Today's stalemate moved them up one place to 15th in the table, but hopes of snatching a play-off spot are looking more and more remote.

McDermott's men are 14 points off the top six, but also 11 points above the relegation zone. And while there is little chance of them being sucked into a relegation dogfight, the league campaign is slowly fizzling out.

McDermott made two changes to the Reading side that lost 2-1 at Ipswich Town on Tuesday.

Paul McShane returned at centre-back in place of Anton Ferdinand and regained the captain's armband.

The other change saw Garath McCleary replace Stephen Quinn, who dropped to the bench.

Royals were eager to avenge their 1-0 defeat at Molineux on Boxing Day against a Wolves side who named former striker Adam Le Fondre on the bench.

It was Reading who carved out the first real chance when McCleary got free down the right before teeing up Robson-Kanu, but the Wales international's shot was blocked.

However, Wolves almost snatched the lead in the 12th minute when former Royals James Henry hit the outside of the post from 20 yards with Al Habsi beaten.

The hosts enjoyed a good spell of pressure after that as an effort from Yann Kermorgant deflected wide for a corner, then Jake Cooper fired narrowly over from the flag-kick.

But McDermott's men then had to rely on Al Habsi to stop them from falling behind.

The Oman stopper made a terrific, reflex save on the half hour mark to prevent a Bjorn Sigurdarson cross from creeping in from a tight angle.

Then two minutes later Al Habsi dived full stretch to his left to parry a wicked free-kick by Henry around the post.

It was turning into something of an Al Habsi versus Henry battle – and it continued after the restart.

Three minutes into the second half, Henry rounded the Royals keeper and looked certain to score from no more than 10 yards out.

But the Woodley-born Wolves midfielder scuffed his shot allowing Al Habsi to recover and make the save before Royals eventually scrambled the ball away.

McDermott made a change on the hour mark by replacing McCleary with Ola John, and it almost reaped immediate rewards.

The ex-Benfica winger's cross from the left was cleared to Norwood whose curling effort from the edge of the area took a slight deflection and rolled an inch wide of Carl Ikeme far post.

Wolves responded when Conor Coady blasted a 25-yard effort wide, then Ethan Ebanks-Landell fired over from a corner as the match began to open up.

The Wolves centre-back tried his luck again moments later after Royals conceded a corner, then with nine minutes to go it took a brilliant block by McShane to deny Sigurdarson from eight yards.

The visitors were finishing strongly and it took some desperate Reading defending to scramble a Coady cross off the line with five minutes to go.

The hosts responded when Robson-Kanu's 20-yard drive was held by Ikeme then in the 90th minute a strong penalty appeal was waved away.

Rakels looked to be goalside of Ebanks-Landell and just six yards out when he went down in the box, but referee Tony Harrington did not want to know.

Then with seconds remaining, Kermorgant smacked a shot just past the post from 20 yards to sum up Reading's frustrations.

Perhaps the biggest shock was that Wolves boss Kenny Jackett resisted the temptation to throw on Le Fondre in the closing stages, given his terrific record of scoring from the bench.

Nevertheless, Reading hope to end their barren run in the league when they host Burnley at Madejski Stadium next Saturday (3pm).

Reading: Al-Habsi, Gunter, Obita, McShane (c), Cooper, Norwood, Williams, McCleary (John 59), Robson-Kanu, Vydra (Rakels 79), Kermorgant. Subs not used: Bond, Hector, Ferdinand, Piazon, Quinn. Booked: McShane 84.

Wolves: Ikeme; Iorfa, Batth (c), Ebanks-Landell, Doherty; McDonald, Coady, Saville; van La Parra (Rowe 79), Henry, Sigurdarson. Subs not used: McCarey, Deslandes, Price, Byrne, Mason, Le Fondre. Booked: Coady 20, Saville 70.

Referee: Tony Harrington.

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