A looping first half header from Craig Forsyth separated two evenly-matched sides at Pride Park this evening. Reading never gave up but Derby defended their lead in numbers and some fine saves from Ryan Allsop earned the Rams the spoils.
The first foray on goal fell the home side’s way; Sam Baldock slid a pass into the path of Tom Lawrence down the left, but Yiadom came across to snuff out the danger and put the ball out for a throw.
Lawrence was involved again moments later, sweeping the ball across the pitch to find Byrne in an advanced position. He found the yard he needed to fizz a low cross into the middle, but a yellow body was in the right place to clear it.
Halilovic had Reading’s first shot at goal, a counter attack seeing Ejaria feeds the Croatian who arced a left-footed effort well wide of the left upright. But the Rams were enjoying the better of the opening 10 minutes – Shinnie crossing from the left and the ball dangerously flashing across the Royals’ area.
Puscas won a free kick when Stearman tugged his shirt after the Romanian had turned his man well to burst towards goal. And he connected with the subsequent free-kick but his head looped into the palms of Allsop and the offside flag was raised in any case.
Halilovic drilled wide of the near post, using the overlapping Tetek as a decoy. But Southwood had to tip a Lawrence effort over his bar after Morrison had played the Derby captain in with a well-disguised pass that split the Reading defence.
It was Allsop’s turn to produce a very good save mid-way through the half. Fancy footwork from Dele-Bashiru and then Ejaria teed up Rahman for a shot and he rifled it goalwards only for the Rams stopper to parry it over his crossbar.
But with half an hour gone, the home side took the lead. A deep Knight cross from the right was met by Forsyth who aimed a looping header back across Southwood’s goal and over the leap of Laurent on the line, the ball nestling inside the right post for 1-0.
A good move down the right that began with Tetek winning the ball back, saw the ball swept centrally to Swift, but he couldn’t find the space to pull the trigger and after it all got too intricate and with numbers back behind the ball the Rams cleared the danger.
And Southwood was needed at the other end to dive at the feet of Lawrence after the ball had been worked across to Royals box to the Derby captain in a good position to shoot.
Allsop stood in the way of a Reading leveller, Swift finding Dele-Bashiru with a neat one-two and the latter lashing a shot goalwards only to see the Derby keeper save with strong hands. It fell back to Swift on the edge of the box but his hurried effort was gathered in by a scrambling Allsop.
One minute of added time was signalled as Halilovic drilled a shot wide from a good position inside the Rams box. And Reading had some work to do in the second half.
HALF-TIME: Derby County 1-0 Reading
Early in the second half, Derby went looking for a second. Laurent did well to intercept a cross from the lively Byrne and the visitors survived the resultant corner thanks to a diving defensive block on a drilled effort from Lawrence and an ensuing scramble that saw the ball eventually roll into the gloves of Southwood.
On the counter-attack, Swift fed Puscas who found Halilovic with space to run at the Rams defence, but he dragged his shot wide of the bottom right corner.
Southwood gobbled up a Stretton effort on the break and Allsop easily got behind a Hoilett stab that bobbled its way goalwards. But with an hour gone, Reading were still a goal adrift – prompting the introduction of Jahmari Clarke.
A flying save from Allsop denied Swift as the Royals tried to up the pace, Dele-Bashiru cutting inside only to see a drilled effort charged down by a Derby defender.
Swift scurried forward and swerved an effort goalwards, but again Allsop was behind it. And he did well to collect a Hoilett cross from under his crossbar as we entered the final 20 minutes.
Drinkwater atoned for a misplaced pass by brilliantly clearing the ball off the toes of Lawrence on the edge of the six-yard box.
At the other end, Derby were defending in numbers and a cross from the right was aimed towards Clarke but headed behind for a corner.
Scott Dann came on to make his Reading debut, with Yiadom redeployed on the right side of defence. But it was Southwood in action next, swallowing up a fierce Max Bird strike from distance.
The hosts were having to work hard to defend their lead, but defending it they were and the Royals were running out of ideas as the game ticked into the final five minutes.
Ejaria tried something acrobatic in connecting with a Yiadom cross but nothing was coming off for the Royals in the final third. And moments later, an Ejaria cross was met by the head of Laurent who directed a good header inches wide of the top left corner.
In injury time, Dele-Bashiru drilled wide of the left post and Derby hand hung on to their slender lead to take maximum points.
FULL-TIME: Derby County 1-0 Reading
Derby County: Allsop, Byrne, Forsyth, Shinnie, Bird, Baldock (Stretton HT), Lawrence ©, Morrison (Williams 90), Stearman, Davies, Knight (Buchanan 81).
Unsubs: Marshall, Jozwiak, Sibley, Watson.
Yellow: Stearman, Byrne, Shinnie
Goals: Forsyth 33
Reading: Southwood, Tetek (Dann 76), Rahman, Laurent, Yiadom ©, Drinkwater, Dele-Bashiru, Ejaria, Swift, Halilovic (Clarke 63), Puscas (Hoilett 56).
Unused subs: Rafael, Bristow, Stickland, Ehibhatiomhan.