Derby head coach Paul Warne admitted his team might have got lucky after they beat 10-man Reading 2-1 at Pride Park.

Dwight Gayle scored for the third game running, although there was an offside question mark hanging over his strike which put the Rams ahead.

Gayle pounced in the 53rd minute when he fired home from Joe Ward’s free-kick, only for Sam Smith to head in Andy Yiadom’s cross to equalise three minutes later.

But Yiadom was shown a second yellow in the 59th minute for a foul on Conor Hourihane, who restored Derby’s lead from the penalty spot.

Warne said: “I thought first half we were really good, we played well and generally we controlled the game.

“We started the second half OK and got a goal that does look a bit dubious if I’m honest. I’m not going to say it was six yards onside, it looked on the edge of being close, so we rode our luck there, although I don’t think we’ve had much luck at Pride Park this year.

“But to concede straight after, we missed a couple of opportunities in the middle of the park to tackle and don’t stop the cross.

“Our intention was to take Sonny (Bradley) off early, he didn’t feel well before the game and was sick when he came off, so I’ll forgive him for not winning his header.

“It was nice we won a penalty with a ball in behind. The captain took it, I won’t lie I was a little bit nervous. When I took him off he said ‘did you have any doubts’ and I said ‘I’ve got to be honest I had a little bit of doubt!'”

Reading manager Ruben Selles said: “I look at the replay and I make my own opinion. When I say we will fight against everything and everyone, we need to play harder, we are going to do it as this team has been doing, fighting against absolutely everything that has been thrown against us.

“Today is another example of how competitive we can be and more than that I don’t know what to say.

“I think the decisions are clear, I don’t even need to say, the pictures talk by themselves. I think Derby is a really good team. We were competitive but I think the decisions were not on our side.”

Dwight Gayle scored his third goal in as many games to help Derby beat Reading 2-1.

Sam Smith cancelled out Gayle’s opener but Royals skipper Andy Yiadom was sent off before a Conor Hourihane penalty clinched victory.

Derby started strongly and it needed a great save from Joel Pereira to keep out a Joe Ward free-kick in the 11th minute.

Reading grew into the game but Derby twice went close with Pereira making another fine stop to deny Tom Barkhuizen in the 31st minute before Eiran Cashin headed a free-kick against a post two minutes later.

The game burst into life early in the second half with both sides trading goals before Reading were reduced to 10 men.

Gayle latched onto Ward’s pass to put Derby ahead in the 53rd minute, only for Smith to head in Yiadom’s cross three minutes later.

Yiadom was shown a second yellow card in the 59th minute for a foul on Hourihane, who restored Derby’s lead from the spot in the 70th minute after Pereira caught Gayle.

Harvey Knibbs was at the double as Reading fired themselves five points clear of the Sky Bet League One relegation zone with a fine 3-1 victory at basement boys Carlisle.

Playmaker Knibbs bagged a brace in the 5-1 drubbing when the the two sides met back in November.

And he repeated the trick with goals in neither half after Sam Smith put the visitors ahead at Brunton Park.

The Royals went close to an opener when Knibbs slipped Smith, whose effort hit a post, through on goal.

But the visitors hit the front moments later as Smith coolly slotted beyond on-rushing Harry Lewis in the 17th minute.

Captain Andy Yiadom unlocked the door for the second as he raced to the byline and cut back for Knibbs to tap home 10 minutes before half-time.

And dangerman Knibbs doubled his tally 12 minutes after the restart as he pounced on a teasing Femi Azeez cross for the third.

Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan almost had a fourth when his strike was tipped over by Lewis.

Jon Mellish pulled one back as he headed home Jordan Gibson’s cross with 20 minutes to go.

But it was a mere consolation as Paul Simpson’s crumbling Cumbrians slumped to a ninth defeat in 10.

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho had mixed emotions after his side beat Reading 4-1 at Fratton Park.

Colby Bishop scored his 16th goal of the season to help Pompey maintain their six-point lead at the top of League One.

Mousinho said: “I am very pleased with the win, but obviously disappointed to concede as well.

“I thought Reading were excellent in the early stages and were causing us problems, and we were fortunate not to have conceded during that spell. They showed a lot of energy and a lot of purpose.

“We changed a couple of things after the first half-hour, which seemed to make them more open and direct. That helped us obviously as we have hit the back of the net four times.

“We weren’t organised behind the ball enough and lost too many challenges and second balls in the first half, but I thought we were excellent in the second half.”

The Royals dominated the first 25 minutes and had several chances of opening the scoring with efforts from Andy Yiadom on 11 minutes and Lewis Wing a minute later.

Paul Mukairu put the simplest chance over the bar from inside the six-yard box and the league leaders instead took the lead on 36 minutes as Abu Kamara broke down the middle and passed to Paddy Lane, who rifled the ball home off David Button’s body.

Marlon Pack and Callum Lang drove home and Pompey made it four thanks to Bishop’s strike, but the Royals got a consolation late on from Charlie Savage.

Reading manager Ruben Selles said: “I think we dominated the first half, and I think they were lucky not to be 2-0 down.

“We came here to defend higher up the pitch and to play well, and I think we did that very well.

“I think we continued to do well even after going a goal down, but the second knocked us back a bit and we lost our composure.

“There are areas we could do better but overall, I was very pleased with the performance, and showed we can compete with the top teams.

“It is hard to take that we have played that well but conceded four goals.

“There is nothing major in terms of injuries. Sam Smith was able to travel and got some valuable minutes under his belt.

“We have two home games now on Tuesday and Saturday and we need to build on how we’ve performed today.”

Colby Bishop’s 16th goal of the season helped Portsmouth complete a 4-1 rout of hapless Reading at Fratton Park.

The Royals dominated the first 25 minutes and had several chances to open the scoring, with efforts from Andy Yiadom on 11 minutes and Lewis Wing a minute later.

But it was Paul Mukairu who had the simplest chance, putting the ball over the bar from inside the six-yard box.

The league leaders took the lead on 36 minutes as Abu Kamara broke down the middle and passed to Paddy Lane, who rifled the ball home off keeper David Button’s body.

Pompey doubled their lead four minutes into the second half when Marlon Pack drove home, and it soon became 3-0 on 58 minutes with an identical strike from Callum Lang.

Pompey made it four thanks to Bishop’s strike but the Royals got a consolation late on from Charlie Savage.

Reading gave their League One survival chances a boost with a 1-0 victory at home to promotion-chasing Derby.

The hosts, who were given a suspended three-point deduction for the abandonment of their Port Vale fixture, had the first chance after 16 minutes. Andy Yiadom turned and shot in the box but saw his effort come off the post and into the arms of goalkeeper Josh Vickers.

Sam Smith flicked a header from a corner just over, while Derby almost took the lead with six minutes of the half remaining, as a Conor Hourihane strike hit the upright.

Reading took the lead nine minutes in the second half. A Femi Azeez shot found the post, but the ball fell kindly to Paul Mukairu, who finished with precision.

The goal gave the hosts confidence, although Tyreece John-Jules should have done better with a header – 64 minutes in – after putting it wide.

Derby struggled to make much headway on the Reading goal after going behind and the Berkshire side held on for a vital three points.