Nottingham Forest secured a 2-1 victory over FA Cup giant-killers Reading at the City Ground on Saturday.
Forest maintain their unbeaten run as Reading's slump continues
Nottingham Forest secured a 2-1 victory over FA Cup giant-killers Reading at the City Ground on Saturday.
Paul Anderson and Robert Earnshaw got the goals for the Reds, who are now unbeaten in their last 18 Championship fixtures.
The Royals had their chances to get back into the game during the second half, with Brian Howard seeing a penalty saved by Lee Camp in the wake of Nicky Shorey's dismissal for the hosts.
Reading did pull one back late on through Jimmy Kebe, but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation as they continue to slip deeper into the relegation mire.
With Newcastle not hosting third-placed West Brom until Monday night, the hard-fought win consolidated Forest's position in the automatic promotion places.
Reading succeeded where Forest failed in midweek by humbling Premier League opposition in a third round cup replay, but their momentous victory at Liverpool was soon to feel a long time ago.
Pressure
Earnshaw was narrowly caught offside, and went through again only to get the ball stuck under his feet, before the hosts' early pressure paid dividends after 11 minutes.
Chris Cohen, one of only three players - along with Camp and centre-half Wes Morgan - to play against Birmingham on Tuesday night, linked up with Earnshaw down the right side of the area.
It looked like Cohen would go for goal himself but he calmly slipped the ball to Anderson, who fired home from 12 yards.
Adam Federici pushed away a volley from Earnshaw on the half-hour mark but the Wales international scored for the sixth time in his last five home appearances four minutes before the break.
Reading could only clear the ball as far as Radoslaw Majewski on the left wing. The on-loan Pole picked out Earnshaw on the penalty spot and he steered the ball into the bottom corner.
Reading showed signs of a revival in the second half but Camp excelled twice in quick succession to deny Simon Church.
Combination
Church met Ryan Bertrand's cross but Camp stuck out a foot to keep out his header.
Then the same combination saw Camp somehow flick another Church header over the crossbar with his foot as he dived the wrong way.
It was to be Church's last contribution before he was replaced by Kebe after 66 minutes and the substitute made an immediate impact by winning a penalty.
Shorey's late lunge on the Malian resulted in a red card for the full-back in the final appearance of his loan spell from Aston Villa.
However, Camp enhanced his growing reputation once more by saving half-time substitute Howard's spot-kick.
Kebe headed home Jem Karacan's cross in the fourth minute of added time at the end of the game but it was too little, too late.
