I had some idea as to what I was letting myself in for when I said I would cover this match in the place of my colleague I Saw.

Reading 1-0 Derby County
Doyle 63

I knew it was unlikely to be pretty nor would it end particularly well and as I was correct on both fronts I feel a great sense of pity for the poor man who usually writes your away reports – quite how he manages to make an entertaining read out of this sort of drudgery I will never know; this is the Premier Rams on the road and my word it takes some nerve to watch it.

Derby County versus Reading; hardly the sort of match you pay Sky fifty-odd of your hard earned cash for when you sign up to watch Super Sunday; two championship teams playing at the Premiership, the thrills and spills of perhaps the worst top flight match since the league's inception.

Harsh? Perhaps but having seen us take a hammering at the likes of the Emirates and enduring it with good grace knowing that we were at least being outclassed by perhaps the best footballing side in the world is one thing; getting beat 1-0 in a horrendously boring game by Reading is quite another and it was quite enough to put the watching punter into a coma.

Now I like a good grumble but I've been fairly content with our start to the season (Birmingham aside); however, this game just seemed to suck the life out of me and considering the facts from our away trips this season (5 games, 0 points, 0 goals), it's looking pretty likely that this is not an isolated event – I'm dreading the trip to Craven Cottage; having two Fulham-supporting friends just isn't a good thing at this moment.

Anyway, there's my entry to Grumpy (Young) Men; on to the match and some more changes to the starting line-up; Griffin in at right back with Mears on the wing, Benny makes his starting debut in central midfield as the Rams go a sort of 4-5-1.

Reading start brightly; Hunt causing most of the problems and the former Brentford man should open the scoring on just 3 minutes but can only blaze over the bar from six yards; it's another early let off for the Rams as they continue to haemorrhage chances in the opening stages of halves.

Miller, hardworking as ever, does well in the corner and feeds Pearson who in turn finds Oakley; the Captain steps onto the pass and drills a low shot wide as the Rams try and find their first away goal of the season.

Straight up the other end and the Rams fall asleep again as their opposition gets on with play; Rosenior's ball is deep and inviting but Doyle can only head over from an excellent position inside the box.

Griffin, in a rare moment of attacking intent, cuts inside on the half hour and beats two men before hitting a low left-footed shot which curls just past the post; its promising by Hahnemann is still yet to be troubled in the Reading goal.

The best chance for the Rams comes on the stroke of half time; Pearson's sweet left wing cross falls towards Miller but just too far away for a shot and the Scottish striker is eventually crowded out by the Royals en masse.

It's not great but we'll level at half time away from Pride Park; staggeringly, this is a first.

Half Time: Reading 0-0 Rams

The Rams start the second half the better of the two sides; Oakley and Pearson take turns to drill volleys wide – still no saves from Hahnemann, I suppose you could say that's two games running.

Mears, ever willing despite being played out of position, plays Miller in behind but the flag goes up for the umpteenth time; the officials really were not on our side yesterday; I will continue to have nightmares about Lee Mason's never-ending whistling. We do, it would seem, always get crap refs.

On 63 minutes, the winning goal; fat-faced pest Murty scampers down the right and delivers a telling cross, flicked on by Howard but only to Doyle who plants a first time header past the despairing dive of Stephen Bywater.

Heads go down in the crowd but thankfully, not on the pitch; on come Barnes and Lewis, followed eventually by forgotten man Rob Earnshaw; off the three only Earnie makes a contribution – his desire and pace liven things up a bit and the Welshmen goes oh so close with a long curler, just past the post.

In the end it is all for naught. Derby shots on target: 0.

I guarantee Earnshaw starts at Fulham.

Full Time: Reading 1-0 Rams

Rams: Bywater 7; McEveley 6; Griffin 5 (Earnshaw 6); Mears 6; Leacock 6; Davis 7 ; Oakley 6; Pearson 5; Howard 5 (Barnes 5); Miller 6; Feilhaber 6 (Lewis 5).

Reading: Hehnemann; Murty; Duberry; Ingimarsson ; Shorey; Rosenior (Oster); Harper; Gunnarsson; Hunt; Doyle; Kitson.

Referee: L Mason.

Attendance: 23,091.

Next up: Fulham (away).

Photo: Action Images

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