Derby County 1-1 Reading

Jason Shackell has made 27 appearances for Derby County this season

Derby County lost ground on Championship leaders Middlesbrough as they drew with Reading.

Jason Shackell gave the hosts the lead as he lost his marker to turn in Tom Ince's corner from close range.

Reading had an appeal for a penalty denied after Matej Vydra claimed he was tripped by Shackell, before Danny Williams headed in the equaliser.

Hal Robson-Kanu had a shot turned onto the post as the Royals pushed for a winner, but Derby held on for a point.

The Rams are now six points behind Boro at the top of the table having played one game more, with the Teessiders winning at Brentford.

Vydra volleyed over from Garath McCleary's ball shortly after kick-off, and Shackell punished Brian McDermott's side for their inability to turn early possession into a goal when he fired high past Ali Al-Habsi.

The trailing Royals continued to push forward, and they were eventually rewarded as Williams headed in from Robson-Kanu's floated cross.

McCleary forced Lee Grant into a sharp save early in the second half with a powerful shot, while Al-Habsi denied Nick Blackman his first Rams goal.

Camp was called into action again to push Robson-Kanu's fiercely hit effort on to the post, while Vydra and Reading team-mate Oliver Norwood both missed the target with late free-kicks.

Derby County head coach Paul Clement:

"We were awful from start to finish. There's nothing positive to say about that except that maybe a point is a bonus and I don't even think we deserved that.

"It's my worst game as head coach of this club. It was poor application of the tactical plan so (it is) a question of attitude.

"I'm almost in shock and it's very difficult to explain how a team has gone 26 games and always worked hard, been resilient and given their best and then you arrive at game 27 and that happens.

"The last thing I said before they went out was about getting the fundamentals and the basics right and that obviously went in one ear and out the other because I can't pick out a player who performed tonight, we were individually and collectively poor with error after error."

Reading manager Brian McDermott:

"We are just trying to get the basics right and we did that tonight. We had good pace in the final third, passed it really well and everyone in the dressing room contributed.

"Unfortunately we couldn't quite kick on at the end and win the game. Derby is a great club, they are trying to have a real go at getting in the Premier League and Paul Clement is a top manager with really good players and I'm sure they will be really close at the end of the season.

"We are just trying to build something, a good side going forward and we have really good players in our dressing room, a good spirit and they can play which they've shown over the last six games."