Reading boss Noel Hunt was happy with a “positive point” after his play-off chasing side were held to a goalless draw at 10-man Northampton on Saturday.
In a game of few chances, the home side edged the first half as Ben Perry and Dara Costelloe both went close, while Cobblers goalkeeper Lee Burge saved well from Jayden Wareham.
Northampton’s best opportunity fell to Tyler Roberts in the second half but he was denied by Joel Pereira and then Reading so nearly made it three wins in a row after Nesta Guinness-Walker’s red card, Charlie Savage sidefooting wide with four minutes left.
“It’s a positive point for us,” said Hunt, whose side beat Wycombe last Saturday and Shrewsbury in midweek.
“We knew Northampton would be tough. I’ve watched them under (Kevin Nolan) and they’ve been at it since he’s come in. They’re fighting for their lives and we knew they would be right up for it.
“We just needed to find that moment of quality in the final third and I thought we had it when Charlie popped up late on after a good passage of play but it wasn’t to be.
“The pitch was dry and bobbly and it wouldn’t quite sit down but that’s for us to deal with and we needed to do it more throughout the game, not just when they had 10 men.
“The message at half-time was to play quicker and be cleaner and more efficient with our touches but if we can’t play the way we want to, it’s important to do the other side of the game and we were defensively sound.
“We did the basics and fundamentals really well and we’ll take it and that makes it a seven-point week.”
The point takes Northampton five clear of the bottom four with four games to go.
“We always respect the point,” said boss Nolan. “I think, when it was 11 versus 11, we were the more likely team to score. The subs came on and made a difference and Tyler had that chance – it’s a fantastic save by the goalkeeper.
“I felt we could have built a bit of momentum going into the last 10, 15 minutes and who knows what might have happened. The red card changes things but I thought the way the lads managed the game and saw it out was excellent.
“I got hold of a couple of players when we went down to 10 men and we sent on some instructions and they took it on really well. We limited them to only one big chance and you sometimes need a bit of luck and we had it today.
“That’s the only real chance they had and on another day he sticks it in and you go away deflated, but that’s four points from two games against Reading and Peterborough, not a lot of people would have expected that so I’m really pleased with the lads.”
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