Reading 1-0 Derby

Reading have claimed three vital points after a Kevin Doyle goal saw Derby beaten 1-0 at the Madejski Stadium.

Boss Steve Coppell picked the same Reading side that lost 7-4 at Portsmouth last week and Doyle's 63rd-minute header gave him his first goal of the season.

This sent Derby to their fifth defeat in five away league matches this season, all without scoring a goal.

Coppell's side had conceded seven goals in the defeat to Portsmouth last time out - but Derby, bottom of the Barclays Premier League and still without an away goal this season, did not have the same ammunition.

He said: "Obviously it's a relief. But it's only in the system because people talk about conceding seven goals like someone has died.

"It's football, and I bet there won't be many teams who go there and score four and also miss a penalty. It's not the end of the world to get beaten - we could lose 20 games and have a good season."

He continued: "At Crystal Palace, I had a defence that conceded nine at Anfield once - the way they played the next game was not very pretty," said Coppell.

"We drew with Southampton. It was 1-1 - but it was a lucky goal.

"If you're a defender you want the ball as far away from your goal as possible, and there was an element of that in the first half."

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