Relegated Blackpool have played out a 1-1 draw against Reading in this evening's Championship clash at Bloomfield Road.

The hosts were awarded a penalty within the first five minutes of the game as Zat Knight dragged down Gary Madine in the box.

Jamie O'Hara stepped up and duly sent opposition goalkeeper Adam Federici the wrong way to give the Tangerines an early lead.

Reading struggled to get into the game and, save for a first-time effort from Yakubu and a Hal Robson-Kanu curler from 20 yards, the visitors rarely threatened.

Blackpool, in contrast, pushed forward at every opportunity and forced several blocks from the opposition defence, Michael Jacobs and O'Hara proving especially dangerous.

Both sides had good chances in the latter stages of the first half as Jacobs fired an effort into the side-netting and Yakubu scooped an effort into the hands of Joe Lewis.

The Seasiders would hold on to their lead come the half-time whistle, but were undone just after the restart when Pavel Pogrebnyak's ball into the box was met by Yakubu, whose shot cannoned off Grant Hall and into the net.

Reading were invigorated by their goal and soon pushed forward again as Jamie Mackie's low shot from 20 yards forced a stop from Lewis.

The pendulum then briefly swung the other way as David Perkins came close to restoring Blackpool's lead on the hour, curling just inches wide of the post.

From then on the visitors were strongest as they tried to find a goal against their doomed opponents in the latter stages of the game, but Blackpool were able to hang on for a creditable draw.