BRENDAN RODGERS’S eyes said it all. Asked to explain just why his Liverpool side had, for the second week running, come up short against patently inferior opposition, the Reds boss found himself searching for words.

No wonder. Another goalless draw to analyse, two more dropped points to ponder?

The shake of the head and the rueful look downwards which followed said everything.

If West Ham United last weekend was frustrating, this was plain baffling.

Liverpool threw everything at a Reading side plummeting towards relegation, but without reward.

If statistics rarely tell the whole story, here they most definitely did.

“We did everything right,” said Rodgers.

“We had all of the game, all of the ball, we had 15 shots on target, but we've come up against a goalkeeper who produced perhaps the best performance this stadium has ever seen.”

Rodgers knows that goalkeeper well.

Alex McCarthy was a teenager of talent and promise when the Ulsterman was manager at the Madejski back in 2009.

He has followed his progress closely since.

“He was always a big talent,” said Rodgers.

“He has all the tools to be a top, top goalkeeper.”

McCarthy, playing his first Premier League game for five months after a shoulder problem, certainly chose his moment to showcase his abilities.

His saves ensured Reading left here with a point.

It may do little to boost their survival chances – they remain seven points from safety with just five league games to play – but McCarthy's was one of THE performances of the campaign.

No wonder Rodgers spoke of him as a future England goalkeeper afterwards.

His battle with striker Luis Suarez ran all afternoon.

On another day, the Uruguayan would have had a hat-trick, or more, but each time he found the home goalkeeper in stunning form. And even when he did get the better of him, as he did in the 15th minute, Chris Gunter was alert enough to clear from the line.

Suarez was not the only one frustrated amid the driving Berkshire rain.

Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and Steven Gerrard were all thwarted by an inspired McCarthy.

Coutinho grazed the outside of a post with one effort and had another ruled out, correctly, for offside.

Stewart Downing wasted two good shooting chances, whilst Sturridge hooked a late chance into the stands.

Even Jamie Carragher had a sight of goal.

It was one-way traffic, though Rodgers's heart would have been in his mouth as his own goalkeeper, Pepe Reina, was called upon to make a fine point-blank stop from Noel Hunt, or when Jobi McAnuff, twice, tumbled in the area.

A draw was harsh enough on Liverpool. Defeat would have been incomprehensible.

At least the travelling fans enjoyed themselves.

After a touching, and immaculately observed, minutes' silence to mark today’s 24th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster, and a classy floral tribute in the centre circle from Reds managing director Ian Ayre and Reading owner Anton Zingarevich, Liverpool's supporters headed into party mode.

The first half here, a slow-burner if ever there was one, was livened up by the sound of loud bangs as balloons were popped in the away end, whilst the sight of a line of Reading stewards moving in to prevent fans from ‘doing the conga’ along the gangways was a surreal one.

There will be disapproval in certain quarters at some of the chants and banners aimed at the late Baroness Thatcher from the away end – the Reading fans certainly didn't seem to enjoy them, for a start – but Merseysiders' disdain for the former Prime Minister is no secret, their memories of her are negative ones, which left scars.

And they won’t heal now she has gone.

Meanwhile, of greater frustration will be that there was little on the pitch to celebrate. Liverpool's players should have joined in the party.

And had it not been for McCarthy, they would have.