Nottingham Forest 2-3 Reading: Nigel Adkins Puzzled By Chris Gunter Red Card

Reading leapfrogged Nottingham Forest in the Championship table with a 3-2 win at the City Ground on Friday night despite having Chris Gunter sent off. The visitors raced to a two-goal lead thorugh Pavel Pogrebnyak and Kaspar Gorkss €“ Simon Cox and Darius Henderson leveled for the hosts before Jordan Obita struck with just over quarter of an hour remaining. Royals manager Nigel Adkins praised match winner Obita €“ who struck his first goal for the club €“ but was left puzzled and frustrated by the late dismissal of former Forest fullback Gunter, who he defended. Speaking after the game, former Southampton boss Adkins said:

"It was a very good performance €“ we started on the front foot. At two up we were the dominant force, but a lapse before half time allowed them to get back into the game. "It was a great goal from Jordan Obita when the game was in the balance. It could've gone one way or the other. "I haven't got a clue why Chris Gunter was sent off. He won the first header. We had to adjust accordingly. Great credit to the players here as they've had to show character. "We came with a game plan which worked incredibly well in the first half. It's a good victory away from home."

Speaking to the club website, Forest boss Billy Davies meanwhile rued his side's poor start to the match.

"We created a lot more in the second half but we have to be more clinical €“ One or two players here have to learn about how to play at home and how to take the game to the opposition. "In the first half we didn't compete, we didn't win tackles and we weren't aggressive enough. Because of that we got what we deserved and found ourselves 2-0 down. "Second half was much improved. We thoroughly deserved to get back into the game and at 2-2 there was only one team who looked like winning it. But we got hit by a sucker punch which was a devastating blow."

Forest remain sixth in the table before today's round of fixtures, but could drop out of the play-offs with a Leeds, Derby or Brighton victory. Reading rise to fourth €“ seven points behind the top three €“ but may still be overtaken by Blackpool, alongside the Rams and Whites, who all have a game in hand.