Dropping points against Derby piles pressure on Reading 

Reading faltered once again in the EFL Championship as they could only muster a draw against Derby County on Monday. The draw extended their winless run to three games and they are now fighting relegation.

Last-minute slip-up for Reading

Reading looked promising in the opening twenty minutes with Andy Carroll missing a golden chance from close range to put the home team ahead. The team kept creating chances with Junior Hiolett advancing from midfield to offer Carroll support.

Hiolett's attempts finally broke the deadlock after a fine pass from Carroll was slammed home by the winger in the 37th minute of the game. Meanwhile, the visitors could only muster a single shot on target in the first half.

Ten minutes into the second half, Reading scored their second goal of the match after Hiolett struck a beautiful free-kick from close range to send it flying past Ryan Allsop. Despite being 2-0 up until the 85th minute of the game, Reading's inconsistencies at the back came back to bite them.

Colin Kazim-Richards has come off the bench to score in Derby's past two games and he did exactly that as soon as he was introduced in the game. A mix-up from the Reading backline forced goalkeeper Luke Southwood to come forward to clear a corner, only to miss it and offer Kazim-Richards the chance for a tap-in.

Reading's worries were only compounded as Curtis Davis rose high in the box in added time to power home a cross. The hopes of breaking their two-match losing streak ultimately ended in heartbreak for the home team.

Defensive frailties adding to Reading's troubles

Reading's backline has been discussed when assessing their ability to stay up. Even in the game against Blackpool in October, Veljko Paunović's men were guilty of conceding a penalty in the 85th minute of the game to go from a 2-0 lead to a 2-3 defeat.

Their one-goal slip-ups against Derby, Sheffield United and West Brom have meant the club have lost as many as 11 league games so far.

At the age of 34, Scott Dann- the former Birmingham defender - is now past his prime. His inability to track back, especially against younger opponents, has been a contributing factor behind Reading's struggles.

His partner Tom Holmes is in just his second year of professional football. Despite making a breakthrough season last year, his performances have been rather indifferent in the current campaign.

Reading has a lot to ponder before they host high-flying Fulham next week.