Mackie struck in the 93rd minute to cancel out Eidur Gudjohnson's second half opener and earn Reading a point that moves them 10 points clear of the relegation zone.

Reading struggled in the second half and created minimal opportunities but Clarke insisted his side had done enough to warrant a point from the contest.

“For me, it was a massive goal,” he said. “I think it was massive in the fact it stopped a disappointing run of two defeats. It was important to get something from the game.

“It was massive because it was the first goal we've scored in a couple of games.

“We showed character, determination and resilience to stay in the game.

“The players kept driving forward and they got their reward in the end, it was a fair reward.”

Clarke declared himself pleased with the performance overall but accepted that it was a poor goal to give away.

Adam Le Fondre nipped in front of Alex Pearce and had plenty of time to pick out Gudjohnson, who was six yards out.

“It was a soft goal to lose,” accepted Clarke. “You can't get caught like that but the biggest thing I saw tonight was the players showed character.

“They showed a determination to get a result for the club, the travelling supporters who made a big effort to get here ahead of another big trip on Saturday.”