Derby 2-1 Reading match report: The Sunday Mirror verdict

Rob Hulse’s sixth goal of the season helped edge Derby clear of the bottom three, after the Rams beat relegation rivals Reading in a tempestuous affair.

Gylfi Sigurdsson put the Royals in front after 56 minutes, but Paul Green restored parity on the hour.

And 13 minutes later Hulse completed the turnaround for Derby, just before Reading striker Shane Long was shown a red card for a late challenge on Fredrik Stoor.

Derby manager Nigel Clough was relieved to see his side respond to another potential setback at home. He said: “We showed character but we have to, because we do make it so difficult for ourselves.

“At 0-0 there was nothing in it and we probably had more of the play in the first half. But then we give away a soft goal trying to play out from the back.

“But to come back again from a goal down at home is encouraging and once we equalised everyone in the ground believed we would go on and win.”

Jobi McAnuff and Sigurdsson fired wide early on, then Hulse headed straight at Adam Federici after eight minutes.

Jay McEveley also shot wide of the target, midway through the first half, and then Ryan Bertrand missed at the other end.

But the game sprung to life after Sigurdsson scored. Jay Tabb set up the Icelandic midfielder, who beat keeper Stephen Bywater with a low shot that sneaked in off the post. The lead only lasted four minutes.

Gary Teale did well on the left wing and squeezed over a cross to present Green with the simple task of scoring from six yards.

And Green came close to a second strike, before Hulse tested Australian shotstopper Federici with an angled drive. Then substitute striker Grzegorz Rasiak went close with a header for Hull.

But Hulse won the points for the Rams with a close-range effort following Teale’s clever backheel and McEveley’s cross.

The visitors came close to snatching a point in the final minute, but Bywater stopped McAnuff’s effort.

The home keeper saved the day again by safely tipping over Alex Pearce’s 25-yarder in injury time.

Reading boss Brendan Rodgers said: “It’s hard to understand because we have clearly picked up in the last three or four games and achieved targets we set ourselves and we looked comfortable.

“We looked as though we could go on and score more, but then we let in two soft goals which was disappointing.”