Reading's pursuit of Sunderland's Championship points record will go to the wire after they were held to a draw by Sheffield Wednesday.

A Steve MacLean penalty in the 59th minute earned Wednesday a share of the points after Dave Kitson had put Reading ahead in the first half.

The draw takes Reading to 103 points, two shy of Sunderland's record which they will now try to eclipse when QPR visit the Madejski Stadium next week.

They had looked good to equal it here but were frustrated by a Wednesday side free of the pressures of the relegation battle.

However, it was the visitors who made all the early running as Bobby Convey and John Oster probed away at the Wednesday defence.

For all their possession, clear chances were few and far between, the best coming in the 15th minute, when Kevin Doyle would have had an easy tap-in but for Frank Simek getting across to clear Oster's cross.

Wednesday should then have opened the scoring when Leon Best and Jon-Paul McGovern combined to pick out MacLean, who had a free header in front of goal but could only find the arms of goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann.

Reading responded with a simple demonstration of the sort of play which has earned them the title this season.

With two quick passes Doyle and Oster cut through the Wednesday defence and, unmarked on the edge of the area, Kitson lifted the ball over Scott Carson.

Wednesday had a chance to equalise just before the break when McGovern's cross narrowly eluded Best and Yoann Folly saw his effort blocked as he ran onto the loose ball.

The second half began with Kitson stabbing in a volleyed shot from close range but the linesman's flag denied him a second goal.

At the other end, Best blazed over after carving out a shot with his back to goal.

Then, after a corner, MacLean failed to get his header on target from a good position and McGovern's well-struck volley from the rebound was straight at Hahnemann.

Burton O'Brien was crudely stopped in his tracks by Chris Makin on the edge of the area, but Glenn Whelan fired the free-kick over.

Just moments later Convey felled McGovern inside the area and MacLean sent Hahnemann the wrong way to level the scores.

Wednesday had their tails up and Simek went on a blistering run before seeing his shot blocked. Ibrahima Sonko then had to make a desperate lunge to clear O'Brien's cross as MacLean waited to tap in at the far post.

MacLean will wonder how he failed to put Wednesday ahead in the 70th minute. McGovern's neat backheel wrong-footed the Reading defence and MacLean spun his way past Ivar Ingimarsson before shooting.

His powerful shot was parried by Hahnemann and fell straight back to MacLean who somehow sent the rebound wide.

In injury time, Reading cleared Marcus Tudgay's header off the line and they hung on for a point.

Teams:

Sheff Wed Carson, Bullen, Diallo, Spurr, Folly, O'Brien,McGovern (Tudgay 75), Hills (Whelan 5), Simek, MacLean,Best (Burton 65).

Subs Not Used: Collins, Partridge.

Booked: Spurr.

Goals: MacLean 59 pen.

Reading Hahnemann, Makin, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Oster,Sidwell (Gunnarsson 64), Harper, Convey (Hunt 64),Kitson (Long 72), Doyle.

Subs Not Used: Stack, Murty.

Booked: Kitson.

Goals: Kitson 34.

Att: 27,307

Ref: L Mason (Lancashire).