BLACKBURN Rovers had to settle for a share of the spoils in a topsy-turvy game at the Madejski.

After a dull first half in which only Morten Gamst Pedersen's free-kick threatened to break the deadlock, the second was in total contrast as an exciting end-to-end game ensued, but that was in no small part down to the officiating.

Marcus Hahnemann saved at point-blank range to deny Zurab Khizanishvili despite Rovers having several players in an offside position, whilst the American stopper twice denied Roque Santa Cruz, at the other end Stephen Warnock headed off the line to stop Kevin Doyle heading home.

But with eight yellow cards in the game it was inevitable that someone would pick up a second, that honour went to Marek Matejovsky who picked up his second yellow in eleven minutes to reduce the home side to ten men.

Mark Hughes went for broke in the final stages bringing on Benni McCarthy and Matt Derbyshire, but it was Stephen Hunt who had the best chance, the Irish international firing horribly wide when ten yards out.

A point a-piece was probably the fair result, but with Rovers having a man advantage for the last twenty minutes, it will feel like two points dropped.

Just the one change was made by Rovers boss Mark Hughes after last week's win over Wigan, with Christopher Samba absent due to suspension it meant a return to first team action for captain Ryan Nelsen.

All of Rovers' international travellers returned unscathed, including striker Roque Santa Cruz who had been a doubt with an ankle injury.

The game started at a frenetic pace, plenty of endeavour but little in the way of skill, Reading threatened as early as the fifth minute when a cross from Kevin Doyle was headed away by Zurab Khizanishvili, Stephen Hunt raced into the area but from a tight angle his effort was smothered by a lunging Andre Ooijer.

At the other end David Bentley sent over a deep cross to Morten Gamst Pedersen, the Norwegian headed back across the area but Jason Roberts couldn't direct his header past Hahnemann in the Reading goal.

But that early promise of an exciting end-to-end game soon evaporated as both teams failed to cope with the blustery conditions in the stadium. All too often passes were misplaced or over-hit meaning a very stop-start game.

It wasn't until the 38th minute that either goalkeeper was tested. A surging run from Jason Roberts started in his own half before being clipped by Shorey. Morten Gamst Pedersen struck the resulting 35-yard free-kick but a central Marcus Hahnemann tipped the ball over the cross bar.

The home side had a late opportunity as Dave Kitson raced through on goal but Friedel was alert to the danger and cleared ahead of the Reading striker.

As the weather worsened the play got much better as in contrast to the first half the second was a much livelier affair, Kevin Doyle unable to direct a header on target ten minutes after the restart. Minutes later Stephen Hunt wasted an excellent opportunity, ghosting in at the back post ahead of Bentley he volleyed well wide.

But the momentum of play wasn't all towards Brad Friedel's goal, David Bentley had a dipping volley that Hahnemann did well to tip over the bar, then Santa Cruz did well to reach a well-timed David Dunn pass but whilst his toe-poke beat the onrushing American, the ball rolled wide of goal.

But as the card count continued to rise it was inevitable that someone would get a second, a robust run from Jason Roberts down the left touchline was brought to a crashing halt by a reckless lunge from Matejovsky, the Czech midfielder had been booked ten minutes earlier and a second yellow card quickly followed.

With the home fans furious a the sending off the temperature rose further as a David Bentley free-kick was sent into the area, en masse the Reading team ran out of the area catching no fewer than four Rovers players offside, but the near-side linesman's flag stayed down as Zurab Khizanishvili powered a header towards goal only to be denied by Hahnemann.

From the resulting corner kick Morten Gamst Pedersen thought he was about to break the deadlock when his drilled effort looked to have gone through the Reading number one's legs, but Hahnemann just managed to re-adjust in time to make the block.

With Rovers having a man advantage Mark Hughes went for broke in the final minutes, Benni McCarthy and Matt Derbyshire coming on as Rovers switched to a 3-3-4 formation.

But it was the home side who went onto have the best chance of the game in the closing stages. Reading sub Shane Long got the better of Stephen Warnock on the right to cross for Stephen Hunt but with the goal at his mercy he fluffed his lines, mis-kicking the ball well wide to the relief of the 1600 travelling Rovers supporters.

There was still time for Hahnemann to deny Roque Santa Cruz from point-blank range, but a late goal would have probably been undeserved.

The point for Rovers sees them move up to seventh in the league and adds more importance to next week's Ewood Park clash against Tottenham Hotspur.

READING: Hahnemann, Shorey, Doyle, Hunt, Oster (sub Long 77 mins), Kitson (sub Cisse 77 mins), Harper, Ingimarsson (c), Rosenior, Bikey, Matejovsky.

Subs not used: Federici (GK), Convey, Duberry.

ROVERS: Friedel, Ooijer (sub McCarthy 82 mins), Khizanishvili, Nelsen (c), Warnock, Bentley, Reid, Dunn (sub Derbyshire 86 mins), Pedersen, Roberts, Santa Cruz.

Subs not used: Brown (GK), Vogel, Mokoena.

Booked: Hahnemann, Matejovsky, Shorey (Reading). Nelsen, Warnock, Roberts, Reid, Khizanishvili (Rovers).

Off: Matejovsky (Reading).

Attendance: 23, 374