Reading 4 (Long 8, Kebe 35, Bertrand 69, Church 84)
Derby 1 (Sunu 21)

Reading earned their sixth win in seven League games by tearing Derby County apart this Wednesday evening.

Brian McDermott's in-form side were streets ahead of the visitors from start to finish, and could easily have scored more goals as the Rams could not cope in any department.

County ended the game with ten men and Robbie Savage had to go in goal, but that should not sway the perception of our performance because the truth is we were probably even more superior when County had their full complement.

We could have been ahead as early as the first minute as the brilliant Jimmy Kebe worked his magic on the first of numerous occasions down the right flank. Shane Long scored a cracking goal after eight minutes, leaving the Rams defence for dead, and we continued to dominate completely until Gilles Sunu scored with Derby's first shot - one of only two attempts they could muster all evening.

But we remained calm and allowed our quality to shine through, Long seeing a great chance go begging before Kebeturned home very tidily past keeper Saul Deeney.

Deeney had come on in the 13th minute for the injured Stephen Bywater, but it proved to be a debut to forget for the stopper as he was sent off just before the break for a professional foul on Jay Tabb inside the area.

Rams skipper Savage was forced to go in goal, and Long blasted the penalty miles over the bar. The miss rocked us somewhat, and although the result was never in doubt we had to wait until the 69th minute for the impressive Ryan Bertrand to lash home a third; Savage having made some good saves to keep the score respectable for his team.

Kebe's second assist of the evening gave sub Simon Church a late fourth, and it was a great evening's entertainment - most notably because our team is in such good form and so many individuals are playing well.

Brian McDermott has got his team playing with confidence, calmness and drive, and his players have made Madejski Stadium a very difficult place for opposition teams to come and try to get a result. With two more upcoming home games in quick succession we can look to build on our form and the games cannot come fast enough at the moment.

Reading (4-4-2): Federici; Griffin (Khizanishvili 84), Bertrand, Ingimarsson (c); Mills; Howard (Gunnarsson 75), Tabb; Kebe, Sigurdsson; Long, Rasiak (Church 75)
Subs: Hamer, Matejovsky, Henry, Robson-Kanu
Booked: Ingimarsson (foul 72)

Derby (4-3-2-1): Bywater (Deeney 13); Hunt, McEveley, Barker, Buxton; Green, Pearson, Savage (c), Sunu (Martin 77), Tonge; Hulse (Davies 83)
Subs: Anderson, Leacock, Moxey, Pringle
Sent off: Deeney (professional foul 41)

Attendance: 14,096 (680 away)

Referee: K Wright

First half
Reading started like a train, and should have been ahead inside the first minute, Gylfi Sigurdsson heading over after a great Jimmy Kebe burst down the right wing.

We kept up that earlier pressure in some style, and with only eight on the clock wescored a cracking goal. Brian Howard fed Grzegorz Rasiak, who in turn did well to shift it on and supply Kebe. It was not easy for the Malian to control, but he got it under and turned it forward for Shane Long. The Irishman had plenty to do as he took possession 30 yards out, but he took it in his stride, left his man for dead and lashed home low past Stephen Bywater in some style.

A minute later Sigurdsson again could have found the back of the net as he volleyed over from a corner, and Reading were simply streets ahead of the visitors.

If three clear chances in the first ten minutes did not constitute enough drama, Derby 'keeper Bywater soon pulled up with a back injury - Saul Deeney on for his very first County appearance between the sticks.

Deeney was a mere spectator on 21 minutes as Rasiak's volley was blocked by a County leg, and as it ran loose Kebe's hooked strike went over; a difficult chance.

Then, completely against the run of play, Derby scored with their first shot on goal. Andy Griffin's good tackle saw the ball run free on the edge of the area, and Gilles Sunu toed home a nice effort from outside the box, a moment of Premier League class from the on-loan Arsenal man.

We responded with great character though and within 60 seconds Kebe was showing his brilliance again, Long getting onto his pass and it was only through fortune that his effort was blocked by a County man and out for a corner.

Kebe was on fire, and just past the half hour mark he got in superbly down the right, leaving Jay McEveley in his wake, and somehow Long missed it from six yards out - although the cross was drilled in at a rate of knots.

Moments later Ryan Bertrand did very well on the opposite flank to craft a shooting chance for himself, and he caught it very well but Deeney pulled off an excellent stop.

We were not to be denied for much longer though, and the superb Kebehad a goal that his performance fully deserved. Jay Tabb's pass just evaded McEveley, and our Malian was clean in on goal. Deeney hesitated, and Kebe punished him by sliding home through his legs for 2-1.

Derby's defence simply could not handle us, and they were given a brief respite during one of our attacks as play was stopped during our build-up because the linesman's flag was broken - why play had to be brought back for that was something of a mystery but it gave County a breather.

We were looking for a third goal before half time and Kebe sidefooted a volley wide from a tight angle after Long fashioned a cross under some pressure.

The first 41 minutes had been very entertaining, but there was soon another twist in the tale. A poor backpass put Tabb through on Deeney's goal, and our man danced round the 'keeper but was brought down by a trailling leg as he prepared to turn home. The referee had little alternative but to send Deeney off, so the replacement 'keeper's Rams debut had lasted just 28 minutes. Robbie Savage took over between the sticks after a considerable delay, and Long blasted the resulting penalty miles over the bar.

Missing a penalty can do strange things to a team, and even though County had a midfielder in goal and were down to ten men, we lost our way a little - but Tabb still had a good chance right on the half time whistle and dragged wide.

Second half
We still looked a little edgy as the second half got underway, and Sunu fired across goal not long after the restart to give us a little scare and ruffle a few of our defensive feathers.

It took us until the 58th minute to come close to adding another goal, Long getting in with a shooting chance but Savage coming out at his feet to good effect.

Frustratingly, Savage had a period performing very well between the sticks and his best save was a cracking tip-over to deny Sigurdsson's free kick. It was an excellent stop and he got across expertly to claw it away left handed.

Soon afterwards he stopped another from Kebe, showing good handling to block and catch his stinging 20-yard volley.

Finally though we got the third goal and it came from an unlikely source, the excellent Ryan Bertrand turning home right footed with the aid of a slight deflection after good work from Sigurdsson down the left and some rather indifferent defending from the County backline. It was the full back's first professional goal and just reward for another good performance from our on-loan Chelsea defender. With County down to ten men he had been asked to move into a more advanced position and regularly showed his class.

Derby then had a rare shot through Pearson, and Federici had to be alert to pull off a good save away to his left.

Substitute Simon Church was very keen to get in on the act and poached his goal with eight minutes remaining. Federici's long kick made its way to Kebe, and he set up Churchfor a chance in the middle. His fellow Welshman Savage was out to smother, but it ran loose for Church and he turned home easily with his left foot from six yards.

So all in all it was another great performance from Brian McDermott's men. The Madejski Stadium faithful saw a completely dominant display, and of course it's fair to say that Derby ended the game with ten men - but even when eleven against eleven there only ever looked one winner.