Queen's Park Rangers and Reading both failed to find the target in a scrappy and uninspiring goalless draw at Loftus Road.

In a match of few clear chances, both sides appeared happy to settle for a Coca-Cola Championship point.

Reading began the better of the two, belying their poor recent form by taking the game to QPR.

Nicky Shorey made good progress down the left, but his cross to the back post was headed poorly by Glen Little when Les Ferdinand was in a good position.

In the 11th minute, Rangers' Lee Cook slung a cross to the back post - and Ivar Ingimarsson had to be alert as Paul Furlong ran in.

Four minutes later, after great play from Cook, Furlong pulled a volley just wide of Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann's goal when he should perhaps have done better.

Rangers sustained their pressure, Matthew Rose rattling the bar as his shot took a deflection off Reading midfielder Ricky Newman.

Kevin Gallen should also have done better after more good link play from Cook, but his weak shot was easily gathered by Hahnemann before Ferdinand was forced off through injury.

The 38-year-old ex-England international, who has been suffering from a hamstring injury, was replaced in the 33rd minute by Dean Morgan - to generous applause from the 16,971 crowd.

A Little cross then caused problems in the QPR box as Reading hit back - and with Senegalese international Ibrahima Sonko ready to pounce, Rose did well to clear.

Reading began the second half in similar style to the first, making headway in the QPR half before they had a penalty appeal turned down.

Morgan made a meal of a challenge from a Rangers defender, much to the annoyance of the home side, but the referee failed to book the young forward when a card for diving might have been appropriate.

Gallen then came close to breaking the deadlock with a volley from distance which whistled just wide of the Reading goal.

A hopeful ball over the top of the Rangers defence broke into the stride of Dave Kitson, who put the ball in the net only for his shot to be ruled out for offside.

Steve Sidwell, strangely subdued for long periods of the game, saw his fierce 35-yard drive go close after being set up by Newman from a Reading free-kick.

QPR substitute Tony Thorpe then released Jamie Cureton - but the striker's wasteful finish was typical of the match.

Teams:

QPR Royce, Bignot, Shittu, Rose, Edghill (Ainsworth 67), Rowlands, Bircham (Cureton 73), Santos, Cook (Thorpe 73), Gallen, Furlong.

Subs Not Used: Padula, Rossi.

Reading Hahnemann, Hughes, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Little, Newman, Sidwell, Brooker, Kitson, Ferdinand (Morgan 33).

Subs Not Used: Young, Owusu, Harper, Convey.

Att: 16,971

Ref: T Leake (Lancashire).