Church 24   Gerrard 36

Steven Gerrard came to Liverpool’s rescue again as the Merseysiders were taken to an unwanted FA Cup third round replay by Championship strugglers Reading.

The Royals took a deserved lead midway through the first half before Gerrard struck to galvanise a strong Reds line-up, which also included Fernando Torres.

However, despite gaining the initiative before the break, Liverpool lost it again afterwards and rarely threatened to win the tie on the evening.

Reading’s neat passing game belied their lowly status, with Jobi McEnuff looking especially threatening down the right flank.

However, the Reds had the first decent sight of goal, on 20 minutes. Dirk Kuyt’s low cross from the right found its way through to French striker David Ngog, but he dragged his left-foot shot wide of Royals keeper Adam Federeci’s left-hand post.

Four minutes later, the hosts were ahead. Ryan Bertrand’s inswinging right-wing free-kick appeared overhit. Yet Grzegorz Rasiak hooked the ball back into the danger area from beyond the far post and Simon Church bundled it in off shin and knee.

Torres should have equalised on 31 minutes, only to head another Kuyt right-wing cross wide from eight yards.

Five minutes later, Liverpool were level. Steven Gerrard picked the ball up out on the left flank and whipped a cross into the box which Kuyt allowed to run, deceiving Federici who couldn’t stop the ball sneaking inside his left-hand post.

Chances were at a premium after the interval. Gylfi Sigurdsson warmed the palms of Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina with a swerving 25-yard right-foot effort on 54 minutes.

While Liverpool failed to create a decent chance and test substitute keeper Ben Hamer, on after Federici succumbed to a leg injury, until stoppage time.

Torres got his head to a Yossi Benayoun left-wing cross before Hamer but the ball rested on the top of the net rather than in the back of it.