The Bluebirds had an opportunity to go top of the npower Championship with a win at the Madjeski Stadium but in the end they were forced to settle for a point.
Bothroyd, who had cut a rather forlorn figure in his return to the Cardiff line-up, saw his long-range strike come back off the underside of the bar though referee Andy D'Urso adjudged that the ball had crossed the line.
The goal cancelled out Noel Hunt's strike early on and in an end-to-end match, a draw was perhaps a fair result.
Simon Church rode the challenges of several Cardiff defenders down the right channel before whipping a cross to the far post which Hunt was able to poke home after just five minutes
Source: PA
Source: PA