Reading 0
Derby 1 (Smith 45)

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Harper, Sidwell, Little, Hughes (Morgan 73), Forster, Owusu
Subs: Young, Newman, Brooker, Convey
Booked: Harper

Derby: Camp, Kenna, Jackson, Johnson, Mills, Huddlestone, Idiakez, Bisgaard (Bolder 74), Reich, Rasiak, Smith (Tudgay 90)
Subs: Grant, Boertien, Taylor
Booked: Idiakez, Johnson

The Royals' unbeaten home record was ended today as Derby won 1-0 at Madejski Stadium thanks to Tommy Smith's goal just before half time.

The result was harsh on Steve Coppell's men, who started superbly but failed to gain the lead their early dominance deserved, and were punished as the Rams mounted a determined second half rearguard.

Reading were flying in the opening minutes, forcing a couple of corners in the opening minutes and Glen Little, Nicky Shorey and Andy Hughes all sending over dangerous crosses.

The first chance was created after four minutes when Shorey whipped in a ball which was met by Owusu's glancing header, but the ball fell straight to visiting keeper Lee Camp.

Then Ibu Sonko's long ball through the middle was chased down by Nicky Forster, who shrugged off Michael Johnson and RIchard Jackson before on the edge of the box but was denied by Pablo Mills' last-ditch challenge.

Reading continued to push, and on 11 minutes Little's free-kick caused problems for the visiting defence, dropping to Owusu eight yards out, and the striker's instinctive shot on the turn was blocked by Camp's solid save.

Little was very prominent in the Royals' attacks, and after 15 minutes he received Steve Sidwell's pass on the right wing and clipped over a good cross which was met by Owusu's header, but the ball drifted just wide of the left-hand post with Camp looking beaten.

Then James Harper struck a delightful 40-yared crossfield ball into the path of Little, who sent a first-time cushioned volley back across the face of goal but it eluded Forster and Owusu in the middle.

Midway through the opening period Little led a break out from defence and played the ball through for Forster, who attempted to round Camp inside the area. The keeper got a hand to the ball to force it wide, and it fell into the path of Little who tried a shot from a narrow angle which was unwittingly blocked by Forster.

The opening stages had been a constat wave of Reading pressure, and Derby had their first serious shot on goal after 23 minutes when Morten Bisgaard fed Grzegorz Rasiak on the left of the area, but the Polish striker could only drag his shot wide across the face of goal.

Derby were trying to hold a high defensive line, but the ploy failed after 25 minutes when Harper beat the offside trap to race free down the right wing. The midfielder tried to pick out the Lloyd Owusu in the middle, but his cross was delivered just too far ahead of the onrushing striker.

Forster cut in from the left wing and sent a bending shot from 20 yards straight at Camp as the Royals continued to dominate, and then Camp was forced into an excellent diving save to repel Shorey's fierce 30-yard free-kick towards the top right-hand corner. From the ensuing corner, Little cut inside from the right to curl a wicked left-footed effort inches wide of the left-hand post.

Derby had somehow weathered the early storm, and began to dominate the game in midfield as the Royals were unable to maintain the relentless pace of their opening half-hour.

With 32 minutes played the Royals had a narrow escape as Tom Huddlestone helped the ball onto Tommy Smith on the edge of the box, and his snapshot took a wicked deflection to wrongfoot Marcus Hahnemann before hitting the left-hand post. The loose ball fell to Marco Reich, whose cross was met at the back post by Bisgaard's diving header but the ball flew wide right.

Before long the Rams fashioned another good chance as Reich fed Smith on the left, and his cross picked out the unmarked Rasiak inside the penalty area but the Pole completely miskicked to allow the Royals to clear.

Rasiak did better a couple of minutes later, producing good skill to control Jeff Kenna's pass and find space to shoot but Hahnemann was untroubled by the effort, and then the Royals' keeper watched a long range effort from Inigo Idiakez fly past his left-hand upright.

With the interval rapidly approaching, the Rams took an undeserved lead when Rasiak nodded the ball on and Smith got in behind the defence, rounded Hahnemann on the edge of the box and tapped the ball into the unguarded net.

It was harsh on Reading, who never really recovered as their second half play struggled to regain the fluency they had shown in the opening period. Playing their fourth game in eight days, there seemed to be some tired legs amongst Steve Coppell's troops and Derby defended with great commitment in the second period.

The Rams also occasionally threatened on the break, and after 51 minutes Bisgaard and Rasiak combined to tee up a chance for Huddlestone, who hit his 20-yard effort too close to Hahnemann. Then Smith broke down thr right and crossed for Rasiak, but his header was again easily saved by the home keeper.

Ten minutes into the period Forster robbed Johnson on the right wing and the defender earned a yellow card for his late challenge on the striker, but Shorey over-hit the resulting cross from the free-kick.

The Royals began to mount some more pressure, and after 61 minutes Forster controlled Shorey's pass and found Little on the right, but his dangerous cross was well cleared by Kenna at the far post as Hughes prepared to shoot.

A golden opportunity came midway through the period when Hughes made a great run down the left and found Shorey, whose deep cross was headed back across goal by Little and dropped towards Forster, and the striker had more time than he realised as he tried an acrobatic overhead effort which flew over the bar.

Coppell introduced Dean Morgan for Hughes in search of a leveller, and the substitute nearly equalised after 77 minutes when Forster received Murty's throw-in and crossed deep from the right flank, but Morgan could only power his header wide of the left-hand post.

In the final stages it was frantic stuff as a tired-looking Reading team fired a series of long balls forward which the visitors managed to repel, and the final chance came in stoppage time when Sidwell tried a 20-yard chip but the ball sailed over.

So the Royals have lost their unbeaten home record, and were left to rue their failure to turn first-half superiority into goals.

Watch full highlights on Reading World from 7.30pm on Tuesday evening.