But it took a dogged defensive display by Alan Irvine's troops to keep out the team with the best home record in the Championship.

North End were on the back foot for much of the afternoon, particularly in the second half when Steve Coppell's side threatened to break the deadlock.

There were some nail-biting moments in the closing stages with Preston having to pack their box to keep the Royals out.

But in the end Irvine's team deserved their point, if only for their gutsy display in the face of a Reading side gunning for automatic promotion.

The result, North End's third draw in as many matches, kept them in sixth place in the table.

In the first half North End goal had a couple of lucky escapes, most notably five minutes before the break when keeper Andrew Lonergan spilled a high ball on his own goal-line - his only mistake of the match - and somehow his defence managed to clear the danger.

At the start Preston knocked the ball around confidently, silencing a crowd so used to seeing their side in control at home.

But in the opening quarter of an hour North End, for all their tidy play, could still only manage to create one half chance - Jon Parkin seeing a hooked shot beaten out by a defender after Billy Jones' cross had been chested down.

At the other end Lonergan pulled off a smart save from Leroy Lita only for an offside flag to render his good work meaningless.

Doyle had an effort blocked in the box and Jimmy Kebe's angled drive had to be turned around the post by Lonergan as Reading threatened to break the deadlock.

The Preston keeper was again in action after 23 minutes when Lita outpaced Sean St Ledger and hammered in a right-foot shot which Lonergan spread himself to save.

Undaunted by Reading's ability to create an opening almost every time they went forward, North End persevered with their more measured build-up play and were very nearly rewarded when a scramble developed in the home goal.

Stephen Elliott slid in, but a defender charged down and, when the ball was cleared out, skipper Paul McKenna let fly with a 30-yard howitzer which, again, was beaten away.

Just after the half hour mark the visitors produced their closest effort so far when a teasing cross from Ross Wallace was flicked on by Parkin and Barry Nicholson darted in to send a header looping just beyond the angle of bar and far post.

Reading top scorer Doyle had to be helped from the field looking groggy after being caught as Lonergan raced out to punch a dangerous high ball away to safety.

The striker needed treatment before returning to the action, still appearing to be shaken.

Stephen Hunt was not far away with a far post header which only just dropped over the top.

Parkin at the other end was close too with a first time shot from a Wallace cross.

But the closest either side came to a goal was five minutes before the break when Lonergan spilled a catch just under his own crossbar, Doyle tried to force it in and, after a goalmouth scramble in which Mawene appeared to handle, Preston somehow managed to get the ball away from the danger area.

Reading continued to push North End back after the interval, but the Royals were still finding Irvine's men a tough nut to crack.

Lonergan was in just the right spot to save a glancing header from Doyle just after the hour mark.

And referee Mike Jones started to get annoyed by some of Preston's challenges as they battled to keep their hosts out.

St Ledger, Wallace and Parkin all went into the book in a 16-minute spell midway through the half, although none of the offences looked malicious.

It was not all one-way traffic though, with Wallace jinking into the box on the left and claiming a penalty as he was bundled ov er, Mr Jones seeing nothing wrong in the challenge.

Mawene got on the end of the resulting corner at the far post, although the defender only saw the ball at the last minute and put his effort wide.

Boss Irvine had kept faith with the 11 who fought out a frustrating midweek draw with Plymouth for the toughest away trip of the season.

As usual the boss spurned the opportunity to field a defensive line-up at the Madejski Stadium against the team with the best home record in the Championship.

Instead he sent out his regualation 4-4-2 formation with orders to get at Reading, just as they did to overturn fellow promotion contenders Wolves last month at Molineux.

That meant another start for Elliott up front alongside the in-form Parkin.

It was Elliott's late winner at Deepdale which secured a shock win over Steve Coppell's side back in October.

Nicholson continued in midfield in place of Richard Chaplow who had to be content with a seat on the substitutes' bench.

Reading, beaten only once on home soil this term - and that by lowly Southampton - also named an unchanged side from their goalless draw at Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday.

Reading: Federici, Rosenior, Armstrong, Duberry, Pearce, Cisse, Harper, Kebe, S Hunt, Lita, Doyle.

Substitutes: Gunnarsson, Matejovsky, N Hunt, Long, Andersen.

Preston North End: Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, St Ledger, Nolan, Sedgwick, Nicholson,
McKenna, Wallace, Parkin, Elliott.

Substitutes: Neal, Chaplow, Brown, Carter, Whaley.

Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire)