Last updated on .From the section Championship

Preston keeper Declan Rudd made some decent saves and looked like earning his side a point

Matthew Miazga scored in the eighth minute of stoppage time against Preston North End to give Mark Bowen a winning start as Reading manager.

The game was heading to a goalless draw before defender Miazga fired his shot into the back of the net after Jordan Obita's effort was parried out by Declan Rudd.

Both sides created chances throughout at the Madejski Stadium but lacked quality in front of goal.

John Swift's free-kick forced Rudd into full-stretch diving save in the first half before Royals goalkeeper Cabral Barbosa caught David Nugent's back-post header shortly after the interval.

A head injury to Michael Morrison meant the officials added seven minutes of stoppage time.

And Reading, who this week sacked Jose Gomes after no wins in six games, started to pile forward before finally forcing the breakthrough.

Miazga's dramatic winner means Bowen, who was previously sporting director, has lifted the Royals out of the relegation zone to 19th.

Preston slip from third to sixth but remain in the play-off positions.

Reading manager Mark Bowen:

"When you get a last-gasp winner, a lot of managers - myself included - almost want to come in and say to the lads 'You've earned it, have a day off tomorrow. We'll start back on Monday'.

"With just one win in seven, we can't go patting ourselves on the back. We'll only do that when we get a run of results and start climbing that table.

"We wanted to get the ball forward to the strikers quicker but we probably did too much of that in the first half.

"I think we did that in the second half. It was a scrappy game but, at 0-0 at 70 minutes, I'd have settled for that. I was pleased the way it turned out and I thought that we deserved it."

Preston North End manager Alex Neil told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"I don't think we played well enough albeit it I don't think we deserved to lose the game.

"I didn't think there was anything in it. I thought it was a poor game if I'm being honest,

"I think probably as poor as we've moved the ball. We didn't build well enough.

"We didn't look a threat as much as we generally do. It was one of those games. The game was just a poor game, there wasn't much quality."