MATEJ Vydra notched his first goal in Reading FC colours to secure a 1-1 home draw against Championship leaders Brighton & Hove Albion.

Steve Clarke's men looked like falling further behind in the promotion race when Jamie Murphy gave Seagulls a 52nd minute lead.

But on-loan Watford forward Vydra salvaged a point for the home side with a predator's finish in the 79th minute.

In truth, a draw was no more than Royals deserved after playing their full part in a tight contest at Madejski Stadium.

Clarke makes two changes to the side that started at Fulham a week ago.

Royals lost the game 4-2 after throwing away a two-goal lead, slipping down to seventh in the table.

Garath McCleary returned in place of Lucas Piazon, while Andrew Taylor took Jordan Obita's place.

Both Piazon and Taylor dropped to the bench, while fit-again defender Anton Ferdinand was also named among the subs following a six-week lay off.

With the likes of McCleary, Vydra, Nick Blackman, and Orlando Sa all present, Clarke had certainly picked an attacking team.

And they almost broke the deadlock in the 12th minute when Oliver Norwood curled a trademark free kick around the wall towards the top corner, only for Dave Stockdale to dive full-stretch and keep it out.

Royals and Sa and Blackman in particular were becoming a nuisance around the box, but the hosts failed to take advantage of another free kick in a dangerous positions, with Blackman blasting one straight at the wall.

Then on 23 minutes Taylor whipped in a cross from the left for McCleary arriving in the box, but the winger's first-time effort flew over the bar.

Royals were on top and four minutes later Vydra dinked over a cross with the outside of his boot and Blackman got in front of his marker only to head wide from 10 yards.

Seagulls were offering little, though Sam Baldock was only an inch away from connecting with a Murphy cross.

Then moments later Baldock's 20-yard drive deflected over for a corner from which Tomer Hemed's header forced a fine fingertip save from Ali Al Habsi.

Royals may have edged the opening period, but they fell behind seven minutes after the restart to an excellent Brighton goal.

The visitors attacked down the right and Baldock played a lovely one-two with Hemed, who slid the ball across to the back post where Murphy arrived to tap the ball home.

The game erupted into life and Michael Hector's shot was cleared off the line by ex-Royal Liam Rosenior.

Hector then sprinted the full length of the pitch to make a vital interception as Brighton counter-attacked with vigour.

The Reading centre-back, though, almost handed a second goal to the visitors on the hour when his back-pass rolled wide of Al Habsi and towards an empty net.

Thankfully for the hosts, Al Habsi was quick enough to scamper back and hack the ball clear in the nick of time.

Nevertheless, Clarke's men were kicking themselves when they butchered a three-on-two break in the 61st minute.

The hosts broke from a Brighton corner through Sa, Vydra and Blackman, but Vydra's final pass to Blackman went behind the striker, allowing Stockdale to save his side from a certain equaliser.

Royals kept on pushing and Stockdale used his feet to deny Blackman before Royals' striker rifled a shot an inch wide of the post.

But the hosts finally got back on level terms with 11 minutes remaining.

Again, Blackman was instrumental and his fierce drive from outside the area was too hot for Stockdale to handle in the Seagulls goal.

Vydra was the quickest to react, pouncing on the loose ball before hammering it high into the roof of the net from 10 yards.

Suddenly, Reading looked as though they might pluck a precious victory from the jaws of defeat and Blackman threatened again from long range in the dying stages.

Brighton, though, stood firm in the closing stages to survive a Reading corner, a series of dangerous crosses and a wayward, long-range effort from Norwood.

The draw saw Reading stay seventh in the table and just outside the play-off positions.

Clarke's men will be hoping to end a run of three Championship matches without a win when they host Huddersfield Town on Tuesday night (8pm ko).

Reading XI: Al-Habsi, Gunter, Taylor, Hector, McShane (c), Norwood, Williams, McCleary (Hurtado 73), Blackman, Sa (Piazon 73), Vydra. Subs vs Brighton: Bond, Obita, Ferdinand, Fernandez, Liburd.

Brighton XI: Stockdale, Bruno (Calderon 74), Huenemeier, Dunk, Rosenior; Kayal (Ince 90), Stephens, Crofts; Murphy, Hemed (Zamora 74), Baldock. Subs: Maenpaa (GK), Goldson, March, Manu.

Referee: Neil Swarbrick.

Attendance: 21,244 (Brighton 3,648).