Lloyd Owusu missed a hat-trick of sitters as Reading were held to a goalless draw at home by Stoke.
The on-loan striker had the best openings of a tight game but wasted all three to leave Reading and Stoke still stranded on the fringes of the promotion picture.
But the Royals ultimately owed their point to teenage goalkeeper Jamie Young, who made his debut as a second-half replacement for injured first-choice Marcus Hahnemann.
Young rescued the home side with a stunning reaction stop to deny former Reading hit-man Carl Asaba a dramatic winner for the visitors, who had won their previous four away games.
Owusu had a golden opportunity to put Reading in front after only seven minutes, when he pounced on a poor back-pass from Darel Russell and rounded keeper Ed de Goey, only to roll the ball into the side-netting from an ever-tightening angle.
And he ended the half as he had begun it with a free header that flew over the bar after Andy Hughes' cross had left de Goey stranded.
The worst miss of all came midway through the second half, when Nicky Shorey's blazing shot hit Shaun Goater and fell at Owusu's feet.
The striker, on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, seemed certain to break the deadlock but spooned the ball over the bar, though a linesman's flag for offside would seemingly have spared the striker's blushes.
Instead, it was Stoke who nearly snatched victory when substitute Asaba headed goalwards from a corner just four minutes after coming on.
But Young, given his first taste of senior football after Hahnemann failed to shake off an early injury, reacted superbly to fingertip the effort over the bar.
"It was a fantastic save," admitted Stoke boss Tony Pulis afterwards. "As soon as it left his head I thought it was in but the keeper reacted superbly."Reading boss Steve Coppell refused to condemn Owusu for his misses and confirmed he is hoping to sign the striker on a permanent basis.
"Strikers miss chances and as long as he is there to miss them again I'll be happy," said Coppell.
"We have agreed a fee with Wednesday for Lloyd and we want to push the deal through, but to say it is complex hardly describes the situation."