Manager Billy Davies tips Reading for the Premier League after seeing his Nottingham Forest side beaten 4-3

Apr 10 2011 by Mark Woodward, Sunday Mercury

NOTTINGHAM Forest boss Billy Davies tipped Reading as Premier League likely lads after they had won at the City Ground.

Simon Church was the Royals’ match winner with a close-range finish in injury time after Lewis McGugan’s 88th-minute penalty looked like being enough to salvage a draw for Forest.

It was 1-1 at half-time after Kris Boyd’s spot-kick cancelled out Ian Harte’s opener for Reading, and Robert Earnshaw put the home side in front early in the second half.

But quick goals from Jem Karacan and Jimmy Kebe then made it 3-2 to Reading before the late drama.

Reading are now four points outside the Championship’s top two while Forest are four points adrift of the play-off places.

Davies said: “You have certainly been looking at candidates to finish in the top two this afternoon. They might have work to do but they have momentum on their side and have the qualities that could take them all the way.

“We’re disappointed but there is still everything to play for as far as we are concerned. There are still 18 points at stake and that’s an awful lot. If anybody thinks the top six will stay as it is until the end of the season, I beg to differ.

“For a lot of clubs there is still all to play for in the promotion issue and it will go down to a photo finish – I’m sure of that.

“We will go again in Tuesday’s match against Burnley and do everything we can to get ourselves where we want to be in May.

“We showed our naivety and our immaturity today but what I will say is that this young squad of ours just keeps going and they will keep going to the very end.

“There are certainly no complaints from me about what I am getting from this group.”

Reading boss Brian McDermott heaped praise on his players after their sixth straight win.

He said: “We want to try and win every game and to come to a place like this, face a side with Forest’s tradition and win is an absolute credit to our players.’’