Saints' staying power proved too much for Second Division Read-ing who saw victory snatched from their grasp by virtually the last kick of the game.

Just seven seconds remained on the clock when Kevin Davies miscued a shot and the home defence stopped, thinking the ball was going out for a goal-kick.

But the resurgent James Beattie is in no mood to give up on lost causes in this warm-up campaign and he just managed to keep it in.

His pull-back cut out the keeper and presented an easy close-range tap-in for substitute Garry Monk who had come on just moments earlier and stayed forward following a free-kick. His first senior goal for Southampton will also be his simplest.

There was not even time for the kick-off to leave the centre circle! But, although they cut it fine, Saints certainly deserved the draw.

They had fallen behind on 21 minutes to another bolt from the blue, the second in three days and almost a carbon copy of the stunning strike by Swindon.

On his home debut, Bosman free summer signing Keith Jones pounced on a loose header to spectacularly volley in from 22 yards.

Apart from a free header by Barry Hunter tipped away superbly by Paul jones and some awkward set-pieces from Darren Caskey, Reading rarely troubled the three-man defence where chris Marsden again slooted in comfortably as the left-sided centre-back.

On the other hand Saints got stronger as the game progressed. If this stage of pre-season is all about fitness then their mid-summer training camp and pre-season preparation is paying off.

The home team wore themselves out chasing shadows as they worked hard in the heat to try and close down a Saints side playing good if sometimes over-elaborate possession football.

Matthew Oakley sprayed some good passes around while Beattie again looked sharp alongside the lively Marian Pahars who was inches wide with a chip and denied by the keeper.

Uwe Rosler though is still finding his feet although he was hampered by a dead leg which forced him off at the interval.

Saints dominated the second half and again moved the ball well but still lacked the cutting edge in front of goal.

But, after last season's tendency to concede silly late goals, they did show an encouraging willingness to keep going right to the death even in a relatively meaningless friendly.

Reading (4-4-2): Howie, Polston, Williams (Hunter 30), Viveash, Robinson, Igoe (Hodges 65), Jones, Newman (Parkinson 74), Caskey, Forster, McIntyre (Henderson 53).

Unused: Gurney, Griffiths.

Saints (3-5-2): Jones, Dodd (Monk 88), Lundekvam, Marsden, Bleidelis (Davies 75), Tessem (Soltvedt 65), Draper, P hughes (Oakley 45), Bridge, Rosler (Beattie 45), Pahars.

Unused: Moss, Dryden, Ashford.

Referee: Lee Cable. Attendance: 5,916.

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