Reading boss hails Kebe

Noel Hunt's second half header from a Kebe cross was enough to secure an eighth win in 10 games for the Royals and send Derby crashing to a first league defeat at Pride Park since late November.

McDermott was happy with a composed display from his side, and said: "It was efficient and we needed a little bit of Jimmy Kebe to make the goal for us.

"Derby worked really hard on him tonight but we felt he has always got that bit of quality to make the difference and he's produced a good cross and Noel's got in a good header and we're happy.

"Noel has worked hard tonight and so has Jason (Roberts) as the strikers have to away from home but the whole team did. I thought we looked solid and disciplined as we had to be to come to a place like this and get a result."

Reading are now inside the top six and hoping their form can carry them through to the play-offs and beyond.

"Eight wins from 10 speaks for itself," McDermott added. "We normally leave it until end of March or April so we are happy enough, this is the best position we have been in in the last couple of years.

"When I first got the job we were in the bottom three and then managed to get to ninth and then last year at the end of February we were 12th so we are in a little bit better nick points-wise than we were in the last couple of years."

Puzzled

Derby never looked like responding and manager Nigel Clough admitted: "We didn't get going all night which has puzzled us somewhat because we played well on Saturday and have been good in training in the last two days and looked sharp but we absolutely fell flat tonight.

"We can't put our finger on it at the moment. We started with three in midfield and they couldn't get on the ball, we went to 4-4-2 after 20 minutes and couldn't get hold of the ball up there either.

"We were playing against a very good side tonight but we didn't cause them enough problems and that's been as poor as we've been for some time."

The defences had been on top in a tepid first half although Reading failed to make the most of some promising positions when first Hal Robson-Kanu and then Roberts delivered crosses to the back post.

Derby's only efforts on goal were from long range and failed to trouble Adam Federici and the first 15 minutes of the second were equally uninspiring until Reading unlocked the home defence in the 61st minute.

Hunt started the move by playing the ball out to Kebe and the winger whipped in a cross that Hunt headed down and inside Derby's right post.

It was enough to seal the points for Reading who with Mikele Leigertwood a composed and imposing presence in front of the back four protected their lead with few alarms.

Jamie Ward sent a low shot skimming just wide of a post and raised the hopes of the home fans with a dipping cross in stoppage time but Federici dropped on the ball before any white shirts could take advantage.