A rollercoaster start that saw Nakhi Wells give the Terriers a fourth minute lead and Pavel Pogrebnyak level from the spot three minutes later proved to be a false dawn on a day when both sides were guilty of failing to take their chances.

Arguably, Huddersfield felt more aggrieved with just a point after seeing Wells rattle the crossbar and a late header from substitute Murray Wallace cleared off the line by Jordan Obita.

As for the Royals, their mystifying slump at the Mad Stad shows no sign of ending and they have now taken a paltry three points from a possible 18 on offer.

Currently, the only thing keeping them in the play-off race is an excellent run of away results – a problem Adkins knows he must address before their last three home games, two of which are against the top two sides in the division, Leicester City and Burnley.

Adkins made four changes to the Reading side beaten at home by basement club Barnsley on Tuesday.

Hope Akpan, Royston Drenthe and Kaspars Gorkss dropped to the bench while Nick Blackman wasn't included in the 18-man squad.

In came Michael Hector, Sean Morrison, Hal Robson-Kanu and a fit-again Danny Williams.

Morrison was making his first start since November when he damaged knee ligaments while Williams was returning after missing the previous five games through injury.

Adkins also made the bold decision to hand 21-year-old Hector only his second Championship start in a less familiar central midfield position.

Adkins appealed for calm from supporters in his programme notes after his players were booed off the pitch on Tuesday after the shock defeat to the Tykes.

But their loyalty was tested again when Huddersfield took a fourth-minute lead.

Morrison showed signs of rustiness when he misjudged a routine long ball from Tom Smith and Wells snaffled up the chance to race through on goal and slide the ball past Alex McCarthy.

But, to their credit, Royals fans got right behind the players and they responded by equalising three minutes later.

Jobi McAnuff skipped past three defenders before he was pulled back by Oliver Norwood.

Referee Keith Stroud pointed to the spot and Pavel Pogrebnyak sent Alex Smithies the wrong way for his ninth goal of the season.

The lively start continued as Norwood tested McCarthy from distance before Wells rattled the crossbar in the 12th minute after Royals failed to clear a corner.

The home side were looking nervous as the Terriers continued to create the better opportunities.

Adam Hammill was next to threaten for Mark Robins' visitors when he blazed over from a good position then McCarthy was called into action again to deny Wells after another dangerous Terriers counter-attack.

It was a wide open game, and Royals went close to nudging ahead in a bright spell around the half-hour mark.

Pogrebnyak's superb diving header from Chris Gunter's cross was somehow kept out by Smithies in the 32nd minute.

Then three minutes later the Terriers keeper saved Hector's shot from outside the box after Robson-Kanu's initial effort had been blocked.

Obita whipped in the resulting corner only for Hector to head over from no more than six yards out as Royals ramped up the pressure.

The hosts ended the first half on top but, when Pogrebnyak teed up McAnuff in the box, his shot lacked power.

The Terriers were well organised and well in the game and they went close soon after the restart when Paul Dixon rifled a shot wide. Again, the move all came from a Reading mistake after Garath McCleary gave the ball away.

Adkins' men hit back when Pogrebnyak blasted the ball into the side netting from a corner before Royals' boss made a change on the hour by throwing on Drenthe for McCleary.

However, the Terriers responded with Adam Clayton forcing Gunter to head clear from in front of his own goal then Danny Ward's 25-yard skidder was kept out by the excellent McCarthy at full stretch.

The natives were becoming restless and Reading's failure to keep the ball continued to hold them back.

A similar mistake in midfield when Hector was robbed almost led to a second Town goal on 72 minutes. But Oscar Gobern had a pop from 25-yards instead of passing to his team-mates on a three-on-two break and McCathy saved.

Royals breathed another sigh of relief soon after when Wallace was left unmarked in the box only to see his header cleared off the line by Obita from Hammill's corner.

Adkins' men huffed and puffed in the closing stages but the closest they came was a header from Morrison that flew just over the bar from Drenthe's free-kick.

The draw was enough to see Reading hold on to sixth in the Championship table, two points ahead of Nottingham Forest and Ipswich, who also drew 1-1.

Next up for Royals are back-to-back away trips to Charlton next Saturday and then AFC Bournemouth the following Tuesday.

And given their struggles at the Mad Stad right now, playing away from home can only be a good thing.

Reading: McCarthy - Gunter, Pearce, Morrison, Obita – McCleary (Drenthe 59), Hector, Williams (Akpan 82), McAnuff – Robson-Kanu (Le Fondre 74) - Pogrebnyak. Subsnot used: Federici, Kelly, Gorkss, Taylor. Booked: McCleary 19.

Huddersfield: Smithies - Clarke, Clayton, Smith, Norwood, Gobern, Hammill, Gerrard (Wallace 46), Ward (Scannell 75), Wells, Dixon. Subs not used: Bennett, Holmes, Woods, Hogg, Bunn. Booked: Smith 1, Gobern 75, Clayton 90.

Referee: Keith Stroud.

Attendance: 17,649 (Huddersfield 643).