DERBY County failed to score for a fourth game running but collected a hard-earned point from a goalless draw at Championship promotion rivals Reading.
Both teams created chances to win the match but, in the end, had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Reading were quick out of the blocks and forced Derby into some last-ditch defending, with Richard Keogh bravely heading Royston Drenthe's dangerous free kick behind in the third minute.
After weathering the early storm, the Rams soon settled and looked a threat.
Jamie Ward's low cross from the right beat keeper Alex McCarthy but Chris Gunter cleared before Chris Martin could get there.
Then Ward pounced on a loose pass from Gunter before firing wide from 25 yards.
The visitors had a penalty appeal turned down when Martin's cross seemed to strike the arm of Danny Guthrie.
And Jordan Obita made a vital block from Ward after neat build-up play involving Simon Dawkins.
A swift Reading break in the 19th minute provided Drenthe with a great chance to opening the scoring but he blasted a shot into the side-netting.
At the other end, Martin sent a free header wide from Ward's cross.
Derby kept pressing and Andre Wisdom fired over after his initial shot had been charged down.
Then Craig Bryson's deflected 25-yarder was saved by McCarthy, down to his left.
Will Hughes, recalled to the side after an ankle injury, lasted only half an hour before limping off and having to be replaced by Jeff Hendrick.
Moments later, Reading striker Hal Robson-Kanu followed suit and was replaced by Adam Le Fondre.
Five minutes before the break, Derby might have taken the lead.
Ward's quickly-taken corner from the right found Craig Forsyth on the edge of the six-yard box but the full-back, with his weaker right foot, blazed over.
Home skipper Jobi McAnuff forced Lee Grant into a smart save from 18 yards early in the second half.
In the 55th minute, Wisdom got in on the right and his centre was flicked goalwards by Hendrick, only to be blocked, and Dawkins' follow-up effort suffered a similar fate.
Garath McCleary shot across the face of goal for Reading, while Patrick Bamford, on for Dawkins, curled a right-foot effort inches wide of the far post from the left.
After 65 minutes, the Royals should have broken the deadlock - but Le Fondre somehow scooped McCleary's cross over the bar from three yards out, with the goal at his mercy.
Seven minutes later, Derby had another chance to break their duck.
Ward's defence-splitting pass sent Bamford racing clear but his shot was blocked by the body of McCarthy and the ball bounce narrowly wide.
Reading went close again six minutes from time when Hope Akpan snuck in unmarked at the back post but headed McCleary's cross wide from six yards.
Two minutes later, substitute Nick Blackman volleyed narrowly over from another McCleary centre.
Derby were hanging on but might have scored when Hendrick's 87th-minute corner was played across goal by John Eustace but Bamford could not find the target from close range.
Two minutes from time, Le Fondre nipped in front of Grant to find the net from McCleary's centre but he handled the ball and was booked for his troubles.
Eustace also went into the referee's book late on, which means he will be banned for the next two games, having accumulated 10 bookings for the season.
READING: McCarthy, Gunter, Gorkss, Pearce, Obita, Akpan, Guthrie, McCleary, McAnuff, Drenthe (Blackman, 79), Robson-Kanu (Le Fondre, 31). Other subs: Federici (gk), Kelly, Hector, J Taylor, Pogrebnyak.
DERBY COUNTY: Grant, Wisdom, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth, Eustace, Hughes (Hendrick, 30), Bryson, Dawkins (Bamford, 63), Ward (Russell, 90+2), Martin. Other subs: Legzdins (gk), Whitbread, Thorne, Sammon.
REFEREE: M Jones (Cheshire).
ATTENDANCE: 19,514 (1,623).
