Ten-man Wednesday battled their way to a point in a backs-to-the-wall 1-1 draw against Reading at Hillsborough this evening.
We suffered our fifth sending off of the season when Liam Shaw was given a straight red card for a foul on Omar Richards on 30 minutes and what was already a tough task against a decent Reading side became a real uphill slog.
We rode our luck at times, particularly in the second half when the visitors dominated, but clung on for a point to stay in 23rd position and, with Wycombe losing tonight, we move to within a point of them in the relegation places.
Reading began the game the more confident side and our old boy Lucas Joao should have done better after just five minutes when he shot across goal and wide from inside the box.
We then hit back to take the lead eight minutes later when Callum Paterson headed us in front at the far post from a quality Adam Reach left-wing cross and the goalscorer went close with another header shortly afterwards but he was just wide.
However, Reading threatened again when a 20-yard free kick from Michael Olise beat the wall and Joe Wildsmith but came back off the post and then came the Shaw sending off on the half-hour mark.
Wildsmith came to the rescue soon afterwards with a tremendous tipover save from an Alfa Semedo effort before Reach made an excellent goal-line cleareance from Richards.
Then, just when we had thoughts of holding out until half time, that man Joao got the goal that we all expected when he lost Paterson from a free kick and headed in at the far post.
Tony Pulis made three substitutes at half time to try to make life even tougher for Reading to break us down, although one was enforced as Barry Bannan picked up a first-half injury.
The visitors might have had a penalty soon after half time when Moses Odubajo tangled with Richards in the box and midway through the half another former Wednesday man, Michael Morrison, headed just wide.
We rarely figured as an attacking force in the second half and survived two late scares, Julian Borner producing an excellent saving header and Reach looking to have handled in the box but referee Oliver Langford waved play on to ensure us a hard-earned point.
Wildsmith, Palmer (Odubajo 46), Borner, Lees, Van Aken (Iorfa 46), Harris (Kachunga 90), Bannan (Pelupessy 46), Luongo, Shaw, Reach, Paterson. Subs. Dawson, Penney, Dele-Bashiru, Brown, Rhodes.