Gabriel Tamas grabbed a last-gasp equaliser for West Brom away to in-form Reading.
In-form Royals denied by promotion hopefuls
Gabriel Tamas grabbed a last-gasp equaliser for West Brom away to in-form Reading to close the gap on leaders Newcastle to just one point.
The Royals looked on course to claim another maximum haul after Gylfi Sigurdsson's fifth goal in as many games before the Baggies centre-back levelled with the clock ticking down.
Sigurdsson found the net after just six minutes to put Brian McDermott's side in sight of their 10th win from 12 league outings, but the visitors deserved to take a point.
This was the fourth meeting of the sides this season and the in-form home side were ahead early on.
Graham Dorrans took a corner for the visitors which Sigurdsson headed away to start a rapid counter-attack.
The ball was knocked over the top where Jobi McAnuff outpaced the Albion defence to get a shot in on goal.
Scott Carson made a fine save but the ball fell for Jimmy Kebe. He fired the rebound towards goal where a defender made a last-ditch clearance but Sigurdsson had made up the ground to tap in the loose ball for his 15th of the season.
Tamas headed wide from a Dorrans corner as the visitors looked to make a quick response before Youssouf Mulumbu was denied an equaliser by a stunning save from Adam Federici.
Pulsating
Both sides were throwing men forward in a fine first half hour and the Royals came close to a second.
Brian Howard did well to race onto a one-two where Carson made another brave save at his feet.
The ball looped up and Sigurdsson was again in the right place to nod it goalwards but Joe Mattock recovered superbly to head clear from under his own crossbar.
West Brom striker Chris Wood then curled wide from the edge of the box before McAnuff had the final chance of a pulsating first 45 minutes when he thrashed a shot straight at Carson at the end of a sweeping move.
Reading defender Zurab Khizanishvili tested Carson with a looping header at the beginning of the second period but the game struggled to match the tempo of the first half.
Substitute Simon Church then went close to a second for the hosts and James Morrison lashed a shot wide at the other end as the half wore on.
The equaliser came in the 86th minute and it was another Dorrans corner which did the damage.
His delivery was met by a towering header from Jonas Olsson and when the ball struck the post Tamas was on hand to smash the rebound into the roof of the net.
