Long wait goes on as Mansfield Town are held in eventful draw at Reading

Stags have now never won away at bogey side Reading in all 26 attempts but looked the likely victors today until the home side stole an equaliser out of nowhere when the visitors looked firmly in charge.

An even and eventful first half saw Mansfield go in with a narrow advantage thanks to Tyler Roberts' seventh minute goal.

Paddy Lane missed a golden chance to level from six yards and Liam Roberts saved well from a Lewis Wing free kick before Nathan Moriah-Welsh hit the underside of the bar on the stroke of half-time and the officials decided it had not crossed the line.

Will Evans had an effort disallowed for offside on the restart as Stags dominated.

But their failure to net a killer second was punished on 71 minutes when, from nowhere and against the run of play, veteran Jack Marriot netted his fourth goal in four successive League One outings.

Both teams named unchanged line-ups and Stags welcomed back Ryan Sweeney from suspension and Joe Gardner from injury on their bench.

Premier League referee Paul Tierney was the man in the middle

After a quiet start, the game erupted on seven minutes as Stags stormed into the lead.

Oates did superbly to battle his way past two opponents down the left and get in a deflected cross that dropped perfectly for Roberts to prod home from five yards.

Two minutes later Doyle pulled a low shot wide from 20 yards as the Royals looked for a quick response.

Roberts was sent into the left of the box by Blake-Tracy on 12 minutes, but the angle was tight for him and his rising shot was always going over the top.

Stags were dominating possession and on 20 minutes a neat move saw Moriah-Welsh find Roberts then receive a return pass via a clever backheel only for Moriah-Welsh to then lift his finish over the bar.

Blake-Tracy's forward ball almost sent Evans clear but the ball just ran through to Pereira instead.

On 24 minutes Evans looked to have given the ball away but the referee thankfully blew for a foul as the home side lashed the ball into the net from distance.

Soon after Wing sliced well over from 35 yards as the home side laboured to cause any real problems for the visitors.

Then Ahmed crossed in from the right and Doyle whipped a first time finish wide on 27 minutes, the closest they had come to far with Roberts still untested.

Lewis got a good block in on a Marriott shot.

But on 35 minutes Reading missed an absolute sitter.

Oates allowed Ahmed to get past him on the right when he was favourite to get there.

Ahmed crossed to the far post where Lane was coming in and, with the goal at his mercy six yards out Lane somehow placed his finish narrowly wide.

On 40 minutes Moriah-Welsh conceded a free kick 30 yards out and dead ball expert Wing stood over it.

His kick was superb, over the wall and heading for the bottom right corner, but Roberts was equal to it with a fine one-handed save, diving to his right.

The Royals were now enjoying their best spell of the game, but Stags came close again on 42 minutes as Evans won the ball by the corner flag and fed Oates. He cued up Roberts but his first time shot deflected wide for a corner.

Savage tried his luck from 25 yards but the ball was always curling wide a minute from the break.

In the single added minute Mansfield thought they had doubled their advantage.

Oates latched onto a loose ball in the middle and fed Moriah-Welsh, who raced forward and smashed a powerful finish past the keeper. The ball hit the underside of the bar and bounced down, but the officials decided it had not fully crossed the line and Stags went in with the single goal advantage.

Mansfield again thought they had a second goal two minutes into the second half as Roberts swept a cross in from the right and Evans swept it home from close range only to see an offside flag raised.

A deflected low ball in from Oates just evaded Moriah-Welsh at the far post.

Mansfield were clearly going for the jugular and forced successive corners that Reading managed to defend.

Oates was well over after picking up a loose pass from Savage and racing forward, then after a fine passing move, Moriah-Welsh was unable to turn a powerful Oates cross on target at the near post.

Roberts was next to have sight of goal as, with Pereira off his line, he tried to lob him from just outside the box but put too much on it and the ball sailed to safety.

Desperate Reading made a triple change on 61 minutes.

Soon after, McLaughlin took a nasty tackle from behind and, after trying to play on, he had to be replaced by Sweeney, the sub slotting in the centre of defence and Blake-Tracy moving to the left.

Burns was booked for holding Oates on 66 minutes, then Knoyle was well over with a first time effort from an Evans' nod-down.

Tyler Roberts was withdrawn after an excellent 70 minutes, Maris taking over, while Gardner replaced Oates at the same time.

Agonisingly, Reading drew level out of the blue and undeservedly on 71 minutes.

Jacob sent a low ball in from the left corner, Ritchie laid it into the path of Marriott, who spun his defender and expertly drilled a low finish across Roberts and just inside the far post.

With 10 minutes left Mansfield made their intent to win the game clear with two forwards thrown on in Dwyer and Dickov, replacing Evans and Moriah-Welsh.

Gardner had a shot blocked from a corner as Stags piled on late pressure, though Roberts did have to be alert to comfortably grab a shot from Marriott from outside the box on 88 minutes.

Wing then zipped a 25 yard shot just over in the final minute of the 90.

In the first of those O'Mahony went down in the box under the challenge of McDonnell. Reading screamed for a penalty but play went on.

Stags were then twice denied on a break with blocks and Knoyle was booked for wasting time with a throw as the spoils were ultimately shared.

READING: Pereira, Dorsett, Jacob, Marriott, Savage, Wing, Kyerewaa (Ritchie 61), Burns, Doyle (O'Mahony 89), Lane (Ehibhatiomhan 61), Ahmed (Abrefa 61). SUBS NOT USED: Stevens, Elliott, Stickland.

STAGS: Roberts, Knoyle, Oshilaja, Blake-Tracy, McLaughlin (Sweeney 65), McDonnell, Lewis, Moriah-Welsh (Dwyer 80), T. Roberts (Maris 70), Oates (Gardner 70), Evans (Dickov 80). SUBS NOT USED: Mason, McAdam.

REFEREE: Paul Tierney.