LIAM Kelly stepped up to secure Reading FC a hard-fought point after a stellar second-half display against Brentford at Griffin Park.

Royals were staring a second successive defeat in the face after a lacklustre first-half display saw the home side lead at the interval through Josh Clarke.

But when defensive stalwart Liam Moore was shoved in the back inside the box Royals were gifted a golden opportunity to level the scores.

And academy product Kelly made no mistake from 12-yards, bringing his personal tally to four goals this season and securing a draw for Jaap Stam's Royals.

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson could have given Reading the lead with just seconds on the clock after he was played through on goal. Unfortunately however the Icelandic international hit his shot straight at Bees' stopper Bentley.

Josh Clarke broke the deadlock for Brentford after playing a neat one-two with Neal Maupay on the edge of the area after 16 minutes. 

Reading failed to really get going in the first period and had to survive multiple attacks from the home side.

Vito Mannone was the hero on multiple occasions, saving the Royals blushes as Brentford pressed. 

Bodvarsson was brought off at half-time to be replaced by Beerens, leaving Aluko to shift into a forward position.

The change almost paid off immediately after Beerens worked his way into the box and drilled the ball across goal, but Aluko was just in front of the ball's path. 

Just minutes after the re-start Reading had a penalty shout waved away when John Egan appeared to handle the ball. 

Kelly had played a curling free kick into the area onto Liam Moore's head, who glanced the ball across goal at Egan, but the referee waved play-on. 

Reading's attack continued minutes later when Beerens found himself in space on the edge of the are, and his shot forced Daniel Bentley into a diving save.

With 25 minutes to play, Reading were let off the hook thanks to a glaring miss from Florian Jozefzoon.

Clarke flicked the ball over Kelly before laying a defence splitting pass onto Jozefzoon, whose shot was scuffed wide from ten yards.

Liam Kelly levelled the game on 69 minutes with a penalty. 

Kelly's free-kick was headed for Moore at the back post, but Rico Henry brought him down and was booked, leaving the Royals with the chance to level the game from the spot. 

Jordan Obita then made his first appearance of the season after injury, replacing Tyler Blackett.

Royals had another penalty shout just minutes after the first, almost an exact carbon copy of the original decision.

Obita was booked ten minutes into his return, after he brought down Ollie Watkins. 

Reading survived two minutes worth of defensive errors with ten minutes to play. 

First Neal Maupay went through on goal and was tackled by a combination of Moore and Mannone, but no penalty was given. 

Mannone placed the ball down to clear, and Maupay nicked in to steal it, and the Royals keeper had to dive back down to tackle him, again no penalty given. 

Reading almost won the game in the final minutes, with Sone Aluko picking up the ball inside the Brentford half, sprinting at the defence and unleashing a thundering effort which clipped the bar and went over. 

Royals kept hold of possession and held on for a 1-1 draw, leaving the home side still without a league win this season.