Nottingham Forest created some excellent chances and kept a clean sheet in an exciting opening game of the new season.

It was an entertaining first half, with Reading having more possession and finishing strongly, but Forest created opportunities and came close on 15 minutes with the only shot on target in the first 45 minutes. Forest were tested at the back but stood up well to Reading's threatening pace.

It was a fast, entertaining second half as both sides came close on a number of occasions.

But there was a nervous end to the game and Billy Davies' defensive woes were increased, when Luke Chambers was given a red card two minutes from time following an off the ball incident.

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Both sides looked evenly matched in the opening stages of the game, with the ball being knocked around a lot in midfield, but with neither side getting a shot at goal. It was 15 minutes before Forest had a shot on target when Radoslaw Majewski fed the ball forward to David McGoldrick. He ran onto it and sent the ball flying from 25 yards out, forcing keeper Adam Federici to dive towards the right post to make the save.

And they had another chance when Reading gave the ball away in midfield. Dele Adebola fed it through to Majewski whose effort from 15 yards was just wide of the right hand post.

Luke Chambers became the first player to enter the referee's book, after two other Forest had escaped for their challenges earlier in the game. And the Forest opposition were left sleeping when Reading took the free kick quickly and the ball curled towards goal, but was intercepted before it could find the target.

Good work by Forest created another chance with Majewski again providing for McGoldrick who, from the edge of the D, dragged the ball across the face of goal and it drifted two yards wide.

Another quickly taken free kick again almost caught the Forest defence out when Jem Karacan rolled the ball to Scott Davies, whose effort from 25 yards went just wide.

Reading threatened just before the break when Jimmy Kebe got away and past Paul McKenna to the edge of the penalty area where Wes Morgan defended well to step forward and block the shot.

After a slow start to the second half Forest made a great break with Adebole and Joe Garner combining well to get the ball to Majewski, whose effort was blocked by Liam Rosenior who stretched out a leg to tackle well.

And when the ball broke for Joel Lynch he tried a shot at goal, but his effort went straight to the Reading keeper.

As Reading started to put the pressure on, an excellent challenge by Chris Gunter on Kebe stopped him just in time as he looked almost sure to score.

Beautiful work by Chris Cohen saw him get away from two players and lay the ball out to Garner who was surrounded by players and from a tight angle was only able to hit the side netting.

Robert Earnshaw replaced McGoldrick on the hour mark to add some fresh legs to the Forest strikeforce.

Reading came when Lynch lost possession and gifted Davies a chance. He fired in a shot which Camp did well to block and which Gunter knocked then out for a corner.

Forest were lucky not to go a goal down when Davies rifled another shot in but, with Camp beaten, the ball hit Kebe two yards out and spun wide.

But it was Forest's turn to come close when Gunter crossed to Adebola, who towered above the Reading defence at the far post, but his effort went over the crossbar.

Adebola and Earnshaw combined well to threaten Reading and won a free kick when Earnshaw was bundled over by Pearce just outside the D.

A positive move by the manager saw Nathan Tyson come on for Cohen as Forest fought to get a winning goal and this was followed by Garath McCleary replacing Garner.

Forest looked sure to score from a good, low ball in from Lynch to Earnshaw who shot from close range at the near post and couldn't believe that Federici managed to make the save.

And with a quick break Karacan beat Chambers but hit over the crossbar from 15 yards out.

Reading had another chance but Camp blocked the first cross from Shane Long and Davies followed up and should have scored, but blasted high over the bar.

There was a break in play while one of the linesmen called the referee over and after a conversation Chambers picked up a straight red card, with two minutes of the game remaining.

Forest were soon having to defend in numbers as Reading launched an attack on their goal with five minutes of stoppage time to play.

But they held up under the pressure to win a well-earned point.

Nottingham Forest: Lee Camp, Chris Gunter, Luke Chambers, Wes Morgan, Joel Lynch, Joe Garner(Garath McCleary, 78min), Chris Cohen(Nathan Tyson, 73min), Paul McKenna(C), Radoslaw Majewski, Dele Adebola, David McGoldrick(Robert Earnshaw, 61min)
Subs not used: Paul Smith, Paul Anderson, Lewis Mcgugan, Dexter Blackstock
Bookings:Chambers 20min,88min RED CARD, Majewski 53min

Reading: Adam Federici, Liam Rosenior, Ryan Bertrand, Kalifa Cisse, Alex Pearce(C), Jem Karacan, Scott Davies, Jay Tabb, Hal Robson-Kanu(Shane Long 65min), Jimmy Kebe, Simon Church
Subs not used: Ben Hamer, Chris Armstrong, Brynjar Gunnarsson, James Harper, James Henry, Gylfi Sigurdsson,
Bookings: Karacan 67min

Referee: P Crossley
Attendance: 19,640