Moore is spot on, but City denied by late Meite header
Meite 90+4
Moore 87 (pen)
YAKOU Meite snatched a last-gasp equaliser for Reading as they came from behind to earn a draw against Cardiff City at the Madejski Stadium with virtually the last kick of the match.
Both sides had their moments, while neither looking too fluid throughout, but with fewer than five minutes to go, one flashpoint looked to have handed the visitors victory.
Kieffer Moore drew a foul from Omar Richards and the Wales striker stepped up and banged home from 12 yards to record his 17th of the season.
But, with literally seconds of injury time left, Reading piled forward and a floated ball into the box was met by the impressive Meite, who headed home to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat.
There was little left to play for from a Cardiff perspective. Well, nothing tangible, anyway, but there was certainly pride at stake. And, to their credit, they started brightly. There was just the one change to the team which drew 2-2 with Blackburn Rovers, Joe Ralls coming in for Josh Murphy, and that came as a surprise, seeing as though Mick McCarthy had hinted a few youngsters might get a shot.
Nevertheless, the players selected had a point to prove themselves and set about proving it.
The visitors looked far more composed on the ball and the midfield had a notably bigger say on proceedings than they have done.
But, while Cardiff started the better of the two teams, both sides were made to work incredibly hard for any clear-cut chance, the first of which fell to Harry Wilson.
The Liverpool loanee picked up the ball 30 yards out and drove towards the box before bending an effort low and towards the bottom corner, only to draw a top save from Rafael Cabral in the Royals’ goal.
Reading turned more physical then and began to impart a bit of force in the middle, conceding a number of free-kicks to disrupt Cardiff’s flow, which they did to great effect.
The hosts had a brief period of dominance themselves, with one particular minute-long passage drawing a total of four blocks to keep the Royals at bay.
The teams went into the interval level pegging, but Cardiff will have been the more optimistic of the two, of that there is no doubt.
Reading were always going to come out strongly in the second half, though, especially with so much for them still to play for, and started the more fluent of the sides after the break.
They found their rhythm and all of a sudden the gaps were appearing for them and Meite, in particular, grew into the tie.
It was Meite who had the Royals’ best chance to steal the lead after Josh Laurent squared a dangerous cross to him, but he skied his effort from just 12 yards out.
Even without fans, there was enough audible despair from the Royals’ contingent to let you know just how big a miss that was.
But it took one tremendous piece of defending to spark Cardiff back into life. Curtis Nelson stepped out of the line to stop a dangerous cross and, in doing so, launched a counter-attack.
Sheyi Ojo drove towards the box and rifled a powerful shot on goal, but Cabral’s save dropped into a dangerous area and Omar Richards stuck out a leg to bring down Moore in the box.
The striker stepped up and hammered home what he thought was an emphatic winner, of course it wasn’t to be.
Just moments later, Reading burst up the other end and Meite, with literally seconds to go, popped up and headed home the Royals’ equaliser.
Another gut-wrenching, late blow for the Bluebirds.
Reading: Rafael, Yiadom (Tetek 89), Holmes, Moore, Richards (Aluko 89), Rinomhota (Swift 77), Laurent, Ejaria, Olise (Baldock 89), Meite, Joao (Puscas 58). Subs : Southwood, Esteves, Semedo, Gibson.
Cardiff City: Smithies; Nelson, Flint, Brown; Sang, Vaulks, Pack (Murphy 70), Ralls, Ng; Wilson (Ojo 81), Moore. Subs: Phillips, Osei-Tutu, Williams, Colwill, Hoilett, Watters, Harris. Referee: John Brooks.