BOURNEMOUTH were denied a play-off place by an 88th minute equaliser by Forster at the Madejski Stadium.

With Wigan being held by Bristol City, Cherries were on the brink of a top-six place only for Forster to wreck the party.

Just minutes before kick off two Army helicopters landed on the pitch to deliver the match ball.

And in the first few minutes Reading made the most of it with shots from Graham Murty and Martin Butler going wide.

But it was not all one way traffic and James Hayter also saw a shot drift past the post. Then, after four minutes, Cherries took the lead when the Reading defence failed to clear Claus Jorgensen's cross and Wade Elliott touched the ball home at the far post.

Carl Fletcher was then lucky to escape a booking following a late tackle on Adrian Whitbread.

Murty ended a probing run with another fierce effort which went over the cross bar.

But after 24 minutes Cherries extended their lead when Jermain Defoe capitalised on a dreadful headed pass from Whitbread and slotted the ball past Reading goalkeeper Bill Whitehead.

However, Cherries two goal lead was reduced just two minutes later when Butler despatched a superb free kick into the top corner of Gareth Stewart's net.

But a moment of brilliance from Elliott saw Cherries extend their lead after 33 minutes.

The former Bashley man, the architect of a number of outstanding goals this season, collected the ball on the right, rode three challenges and netted with a quite wonderful left foot shot past Whitehead to make it 3-1.

HALF-TIME:

READING 1 CHERRIES 3

Neither O'Driscoll nor Reading manager Alan Pardew decided to make any changes at the interval, the Cherries manager keeping faith with the eleven players who had battled so heroically in the first half.

Just two minutes after the re-start Defoe showed neat control down the left plank and fired a shot into the near post which was saved by the legs of Whitehead.

Cherries had an escape after 57 minutes when a corner from Igoe was cleared to the edge of the box where Keith Jones fired a shot in which was saved by Stewart.

But the Cherries goalkeeper failed to hold the ball and Cureton netted from close range only to have his effort ruled out for off side. O'Driscoll then tightened things up at the back by replacing Hayter with Steve Purches.

And three minutes later Pardew pulled off captain Phil Parkinson and replaced him with striker Tony Rougir.

In somewhat bizzare circumstances the Reading supporters then goaded the Cherries fans by claiming play off rivals Wigan had taken the lead against Bristol City.

But just minutes later the Cherries fans erupted when news filtered through that the Latics had not in fact scored.

James Harper then tried his luck from distance but saw his shot clear the cross bar. After 72 minutes Eddie Howe was cautioned for a foul on Martin Butler right on the edge of the box and Pardew immediately replaced Jones with Darren Caskey who stepped up to curl the resultant free kick into the net to make it 3-2.

Reading then grabbed an 88th minute leveller through Nicky Forster to deny Cherries their play-off place.

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