Reading held Huddersfield Town to a battling 0-0 draw at the John Smith's Stadium.

The Terriers edged the first half while Noel Hunt's men certainly enjoyed spells in the second half, seeing chances go begging from Mamadi Camara and Chem Campbell in particular.

It marked the return of Amadou Mbengue, who had been missing since January 4 and replaced the injured Harlee Dean in the first half.

Huddersfield, on the back of three defeats, were evidently looking to put that right and they attacked Reading right from the very off. The first five minutes was almost entirely played in the Royals’ half, albeit without threatening Joel Pereira too much. Experts at maintaining attacks and keeping pressure on the backline, Lasse Sorensen proved particularly key to the Terriers and ran Andre Garcia ragged.

Running down the clock from as early as the 10th minute, Reading’s most noteworthy action of the early knockings was seeing Michael Craig change his boots after presumably underestimating the slickness of the playing surface. Pereira suffered with an issue with his collarbone, slowing the tempo down even more to the frustration of the home support.

It took 23 minutes for the first effort, Dion Charles firing wide, but it kick-started a burst of action at both ends as Mamadi Camara went up the other end before thrashing over the crossbar for the visitors. Tawanda Chirewa should have done better after Garcia was dispossessed in the Terriers’ half, the midfielder missing the target from the edge of the box.

Perhaps their best effort came with eight minutes of the half remaining, breaking from a Royals attack and nearly forcing a two-versus-one situation, Callum Marshall rounding the attack off with a weak finish into the arms of Pereira.

Reading, who were second-best in the first half, certainly perked up after the break and caused the John Smith’s to turn quite restless quite quickly. Within three minutes, Wing had the side’s first effort on target of the game, albeit failing to test Lee Nicholls from a speculative range after the goalkeeper misplaced a pass.

Mamadi Camara saw a big chance go begging as Wing found the winger from his deep free-kick, the ball flicking away for a goal kick from inside the six-yard box. Marshall had the only sight of goal in the opening 15 minutes of the half but that strike from range failed to test Pereira.

Heading up the other end, a well-constructed counterattack found Charlie Savage in some space on the edge of the box but the Wales international could only fizz wide of the near post. Substitute Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan saw a deft header flick wide of the post too as Harvey Knibbs sent a dangerous cross into the box just as the Royals were building up a head of steam.

Campbell was the next to come close, the Wolves winger prodding wide from inside the box after good work on the right-hand side. Remaining on a knifes edge throughout, Huddersfield thought they had a prime opportunity to go ahead as Pereira could only parry Josh Koroma’s powerful strike into a busy box, but the linesman’s flag was on hand to ensure nothing came of the subsequent scramble.

Freddie Ladapo had a golden opportunity in the final minute of the 90, making the most of a misjudgement by Bindon to drive on goal. Looking to beat Pereira at his near-post, the keeper got down low and held well as the Terriers ramped up the pressure in the final few minutes of stoppage time.

Holding on for a point, the Royals now have successive clean sheets and host Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday at the SCL Stadium.