Barnsley twice had to fight back from behind to claim a point at Oakwell this afternoon.
Inside 90 seconds the Reds went close as John McAtee tried an audacious effort that was grabbed out of the top corner by Reading stopper Joel Pereira.
A positive start behind them, Nicky Cadden was inches away from connecting with Jon Russell's whipped delivery at the far post, whilst Adam Phillips went close with a whistling drive.
But on 21 minutes the away side went ahead when a corner kick was met by the head of Sam Smith who nodded home, above his marker from six yards out.
There was a decent response from the Reds as a deep ball from McAtee found Corey O'Keeffe arriving inside the box and his first-time strike was turned behind by Pereira.
But on half-an-hour we did find the leveller when another cross from McAtee was headed home by Phillips around eight yards from goal.
We had Liam Roberts to thank in the latter stages of the half as he thwarted Clinton Mola one-on-one.
HALF-TIME: Barnsley 1-1 Reading
Devante Cole saw a clever back-heel saved by sub goalkeeper David Button after O'Keeffe had danced beyond three defenders in setting him up, but we fell behind again soon after.
Lewis Wing let fly from range, a bullet of a strike that left Roberts with no chance as it crashed into the roof of his net.
But we equalised again within five minutes as Barry Cotter's long throw was headed home by fellow-substitute Fábio Jaló in front of the Ponty End - his first league goal for the Reds.
The 18-year-old nearly grabbed the winner minutes later but after finding space in a duel with a defender inside the box, his eventual shot cannoned back out off the post.
As we entered injury time, Phillips also nearly won it when he hit an exocet from the edge of the box that only just cleared the top corner.
FULL-TIME: Barnsley 2-2 Reading
Roberts, O'Keeffe (McCart), Williams, de Gevigney, Earl, Cadden (Cotter), Phillips, Russell (Jaló), Kane, McAtee, Cole.
Unused: Killip, Grant, Cosgrove, Watters.
