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'First Goal Will Stay With Me For A Long Time'

Tom Lawrence scored an incredible header in stoppage time as Derby County came from behind to beat Reading 2-1 at the Madejski Stadium.





The home side had taken the lead through Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, but Mason Mount struck on his debut to equalise.

Mason Bennett was introduced in the second half and it was his excellent cross that was thundered into the top corner by the head of Lawrence with the final action of the game.

Bodvarsson threatened early on as the home side started with intent, but both times he was kept out by Scott Carson; who was making his 114th consecutive league appearance for Derby.

There was a scrappy nature to the first half as both sides pressed eachother with intensity and ultimately into mistakes.





Liam Kelly stunned the Rams with an audacious strike at this stadium last season and he went close three minutes before the break with a low drive, but Carson got down well at his near post.

The Rams looked more of a threat in the opening moments of the second period and they thought that they had the lead when David Nugent headed in from Mason Mount’s cross, but the offside flag was up.





Reading still posed a danger though, and they took the lead seven minutes into the half.

The cross was swung in from the left and Bodvarsson rose above everyone to power his header into the bottom corner of the net.

Derby continued to press and they got their rewards with an equaliser through Mount with a superb drive from range.





He picked up the ball in space and fired towards the bottom corner with his left foot, with Vito Mannone’s touch not enough to keep it out.

Tom Lawrence began to have an influence and he struck wide from outside the box as the game moved into the last 15 minutes.

Harry Wilson had a glorious chance to put Derby in front with six to go but Mannone made up for his earlier error with an excellent stop.

Thankfully, another chance game in the final minute of time added on.

Bennett was excellent when he came on and his brilliant delivery from the right was powered into the top corner by Lawrence to send the travelling Derby support into raptures.





Reading: Mannone; Yiadom, Ilori, McShane, Richards; Kelly, Meyler (Bacuna, 85’); Aluko, Swift (Baldock, 67’), Barrow; Bodvarsson (Meite, 75’).

Unused Substitutes: Walker, O’Shea, Clement, McNulty.

Derby County: Carson; Wisdom, Keogh, Davies, Lowe; Bryson, Ledley (Johnson, 69’), Mount; Wilson, Nugent (Bennett, 73’), Lawrence (Pearce, 90').

Unused Substitutes: Roos, Bogle, Jozefzoon, Thomas.

Who Impressed…

Mount - along with Craig Bryson and Joe Ledley - had to cover a lot of ground early in the game as the hosts looked to control proceedings, but after the break the No.8 was allowed to show what he can do with the ball at his feet.

Mannone will be disappointed when he sees the replay, but Mount can savour a first goal in senior English football, and a crucial one for the Rams.

Next Up…

The Rams return for their first Sky Bet Championship game at Pride Park Stadium this season on Saturday, when they face Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United, kick-off: 5:30pm.