Luton Town 0-0 Reading: Hatters and Royals play out goalless draw

Sonny Bradley down injuredImage source, PA Media
Image caption,

Sonny Bradley has played 168 times for Luton since joining from Plymouth Argyle in the summer of 2018

Luton and Reading played out a goalless draw in the Championship in a game overshadowed by a serious-looking injury to Hatters captain Sonny Bradley.

Both sides had good chances to take the lead in the first half before Bradley landed awkwardly as he went up for a header.

The Royals could have taken control after the break - Andy Carroll put a header wide while a dipping volley from outside the box by Tom Ince was well saved.

Luton almost won it four minutes from time but Dan Potts put an effort over from 10 yards out while Reading's Tyrese Fornah saw a stoppage-time effort deflect narrowly over the bar.

The point sees Luton drop down to 10th in the table, one place above Reading who are level on points with the Hatters.

Luton's best chances came early as Harry Cornick flashed a fourth-minute effort wide from the corner of the six-yard box before Joe Lumley saved efforts from Elijah Adebayo and Alfie Doughty.

There was a five-minute stoppage shortly before the half-hour mark as Bradley had to be stretchered off in considerable pain after injuring his right leg after challenging for a high ball.

Soon after play resumed, Reading almost took advantage of the upheaval in the Luton defence caused by Bradley's injury as Tom Lockyer's poor pass across the back line was pounced on by Ince and Ethan Horvath did well to stop Yakou Meite's low shot.

Reading should have been ahead after 42 minutes as an unmarked Carroll headed wide at the far post after a lovely cross from Junior Hoilett, while the former England forward put a towering header just wide of the Luton post six minutes after the restart.

Luton's defensive injuries doubled as Lockyer had to go off a few minutes after following a clash of heads with Carroll, but they kept a clean sheet as both teams had chances late on - Potts should have scored after Cameron Jerome teed him up, while Shane Long saw a header go wide before Fornah's late effort.

Luton Town manager Nathan Jones told BBC Three Counties Radio:

"It was a hard-fought point, it was a bit of robust Championship game and I thought we stood up to that.

"I thought we started really well, we had a couple of opportunities and stuff, but we just never demonstrated enough quality tonight.

"But it was a tough, tough game, Reading are tough to play against, they sit in and have big strong lads, they're direct and they play at their tempo.

"We tired to create our tempo, but a real tough game and we had to defend our box with everything."

Reading manager Paul Ince told BBC Radio Berkshire:

"I was pleased with a clean sheet, disappointed that we weren't clinical enough as we had some great chances today.

"As far as the performance was concerned it was a great performance, keeping a clean sheet here is never easy, it's a tight ground, the fans are on you, great atmosphere and Nathan has them going every game.

"To come here after the disappointment of Saturday, we put in a battling performance and at times we got the ball down and played some decent stuff, which was important.

"I thought we played some really good stuff on the transition, I'm just disappointed that we didn't come away with three points."

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