Reading 0-0 Burnley: Vincent Kompany's Clarets held by Royals
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Reading, now without a win in nine games, failed to register a shot on target against Burnley
Burnley edged another step closer to the Championship title despite being held to a drab goalless draw by managerless Reading.
The Clarets, who sealed promotion back to the Premier League on 7 April, now need just four more points from their remaining five matches to ensure they go up as champions.
But they were not at their fluent best against the Royals, managing just one shot on target after manager Vincent Kompany had made six changes to the side that beat second-placed Sheffield United on Monday.
They also lost the impressive Nathan Tella to injury, the on-loan Southampton midfielder limping off before the break.
Reading, who sacked boss Paul Ince on Tuesday, remain in the relegation zone but the morale-boosting draw against Burnley leaves them level on points with 21st-placed Cardiff.
The Royals are without a win in nine matches, but four draws in their past five games has kept them in touch with the clubs around them near the bottom of the table.
Despite having just 25% of the ball they stuck at their task well against the Clarets, although caretaker boss Noel Hunt will be disappointed his side failed to test goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
Burnley, meanwhile, remain unbeaten in the Championship since 5 November and could yet reach 106 points - which would equal the record for the most points in a second-tier season set by Reading in 2005-06.
Reading caretaker boss Noel Hunt told BBC Radio Berkshire:
"I thought the boys were great. I thought they stuck to the game plan really well.
"Maybe looking back on it we had probably a couple more chances to go and hurt them if we were a bit braver with the ball, but that'll come hopefully.
"They're an incredible side. The way they set up, their system, when they pen you in they really do pen you in.
"I've told the boys to enjoy this point. It's the first step in a short journey."
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany said:
"With all our changes, the biggest challenge is to see whether your team is still going to look the same. Is it going to have that same kind of identity?
"Today, there wasn't any issues on that. We recovered the ball quite well, we defended well and hence the clean sheet. And I felt that we looked after the ball OK.
"The only thing was that, when we got into the final third, we weren't dangerous enough with the chances that we created.
"But I can't deny the fact that, actually, it's not a bad result for us. I would be more worried if we didn't create any chances but that wasn't the case."