Half time: Royals 0 Magpies 0

58mins Jimmy Kebe picked the ball up and ran Jaames Perch ragged before scuffing a shot that wrong-footed Steve Harper and rolled inside the left hand post. 0-1

58mins Almost straight from the kick-off, Cheick Tiote hit a perfect ball forward for Demba Ba to run onto but instead of controlling it, he cracked it right-footed on the volley. The ball flew past a helpless Alex McCarthy and into the goal in front of the away fans. 1-1

62mins A cross from the left near the corner flag was nodded across Harper into the far corner by Noel Hunt, Perch inexplicably going for the ball with his foot rather than challenging Hunt with his head. 1-2

83mins Substitute Shane Ferguson was played in down the left and whipped in a perfect ball for Demba Ba to seemingly head the ball goalwards, with McCarthy only able to spoon the ball into his side-netting. 

TV replays later showed Ba's last contact came off his right arm - his post-match comments suggested that it was an accidental contact. 2-2

Full time: Royals 2 Magpies 2

Brian McDermott commented:

"We are obviously disappointed, because we know we should have won the game.

"For me, it is a big error from the referee and the linesman not to see the goal, because it was going away and then he has put his hand out to score.

"So it is really disappointing but, having said that, I thought the performance of the team was excellent. That is the identity of our team, our club and that is what we are about."

"We were hoping to get a result today. We were on the front foot. We were trying everything we could to get a result for our supporters. I thought we deserved to get a result.

"There was a different mentality out there, a different mind-set and that is the mind-set we need to go into with in every game."

Former Magpie Danny Guthrie took to Twitter after failing to face his former team:

"I am trying to fit into the direct style of play the manager wants. I pass too much at the moment, which is my biggest asset. I understand what the manager wants but stopping habits like going and getting the ball from the back four is difficult."

In-form forward Demba Ba claimed another brace to save Alan Pardew's blushes at one of his former stamping grounds, as Newcastle twice came from behind to leave the Madejski Stadium with a point on Saturday.

Ba's first was a contender for goal of the season as he hit a glorious volley over his shoulder after a fine through ball from Cheick Tiote to instantly equalise Reading's opener.

But a few minutes later United were behind again when some more porous defending allowed the Premier League's bottom side to retake the lead.

It needed another double switch to get United back into a game they looked like losing and for the second time in four days a fantastic cross from Shane Ferguson unlocked the opposition defence.

Fergie's whipped in ball from the left was inch-perfect but Ba scuffed his header from six yards out and it was bundled into the net by 'keeper Alex McCarthy.

The visiting forward admitted later that the ball had hit his hand after initial contact with his head but protests to the match officials from Reading players fell on deaf ears.

It may have taken over eight years for things to even out but perhaps this was payback for fat Jimmy Floyd's late leveller on Smogside back when Bobby was in charge....

Ba also followed in the hand and footsteps of another famous goalscorer who managed to score a crucial double with both upper and lower limbs, one being a stroke of genius the other being a stroke of a different kind. They both also credited their respective deities for their good fortune.

The four second half goals came from nowhere after a sterile opening period in which Newcastle's passing was little short of abysmal, only Hatem Ben Arfa providing some occasional sparks.

Steve Harper pulled off one stunning save from Pavel Pogrebnyak but that was one of the few attempts by either side on goal as both teams struggled to create any meaningful openings.

Mike Williamson and James Perch produced some timely interventions but the front duo of Ba and Papiss Cisse struggled to make any impact against a side without a clean sheet in six matches so far this season.

That was in part due to a line-up that had Cheick Tiote, Gael Bigirimana and Jonas Gutierrez in holding roles and relied strongly on Hatem Ben Arfa for inspiration. 

Unable to recall Fabricio Coloccini and without Yohan Cabaye due to a dental problem, United were then forced into a reshuffle soon after the break when Steven Taylor came off with a calf strain. He was replaced by James Tavernier, Perch moving from right back to partner Williamson in the middle.

A positive performance from Tavernier in the League Cup exit to Manchester United had prompted his manager to blood him here at Premier League level, while Bigirimana got the nod ahead of him for a debut top-flight start, despite looking to duplicate the midfield role of Tiote. And the haircut.

Both decisions came despite the presence of Vurnon Anita in the squad, who had started in midfield against Norwich the previous weekend but wasn't called upon to do any more than accompany Gabriel Obertan and Sammy Ameobi in warming up on the touchline.

Whether the Dutchman is happy with his low-profile introduction to English football is unclear, but it's feasible that he may be less than 100% fit and that recently becoming a father for the first time has seen him cut some slack while he adjusts to that, as well as life in another country. 

However it's also worth remembering that he's a 23 year-old full international who collected a Dutch League winner's medal last season, at the same time as Tav was turning out in League One and Bigi in a side en route to losing their Championship status, as Reading went the opposite way. Given our shrinking squad though and Anita's versatility, he may not get much more down time.    

Within six minutes, French winger Jimmy Kebe took advantage of United's defensive rejig to beat Harper and give the Hoops the lead with a low effort; the scorer and Perch both losing their footing, which looked to have wrong-footed Harps.

Less than a minute later Ba's "worldy" got United back on terms but Noel Hunt soon took advantage of more slack defending to put the home side back in front.

With Shola Ameobi taking to the field and replacing Cisse the Magpies weren't looking likely to equalise for the second time until Ferguson once more showed his team mates how to cross a ball and Ba benefited, somehow.
 
That made it six goals in as many Premier League games for Demba who has hit the goalscoring form that eluded him towards the end of last season. His colleague Cisse struggled again though despite his midweek goal, managing only one effort of note that sailed well over.

That could and should have left United with enough time to test the fragile confidence of Brian McDermott's side, but it was Reading who came closest to a winner when Jobi McAnuff rattled the post from distance and their veteran striker Jason Roberts came off the bench to disrupt our backline on several occasions.

Referee Andre Marriner awarded a free-kick late into time added on but Tiote's delivery never threatened to produce a dramatic and probably undeserved winner.

The point was enough to take Newcastle up to ninth while Reading doubled their seasonal tally to climb off the bottom of the table at the expense of QPR.

Former Magpie Danny Guthrie was named among the home substitutes but failed to appear, while central defender Adrian Mariappa had a mixed afternoon against the side he reportedly turned down the chance to join back in January 2012 when a Watford player.

There were mixed feelings on leaving this particular out-of-town/retail park stadium. Pleased once again to have come from behind twice, like at Goodison Park and to have enjoyed some good fortune but disappointed to have looked so unconvincing against a struggling side.

To be without Colo, the two Taylors, Cabaye, Krul and Simpson is an unfortunate array of absentees but we've had worse. However, the team that left the pitch looked worryingly threadbare and having two injured centre-halves suddenly makes our defence look incredibly vulnerable.

A midfield without Cabaye lacks invention and our passing, especially in the first half was worryingly poor. We may have a world class front three but if they aren't backed up by a strong defence and middle of the park then things could start to unravel very quickly, certainly sooner than the eight years that Pardew now has to put his master plan in place.

Niall MacKenzie