READING ended their Championship campaign on a high with a 3-0 victory at Derby County , which ended the home side’s play-off hopes.

Derby only needed a point to make sure of a place in the top six and faced a side who had lost their previous five outings.

The visitors took just two minutes into the contest, after Kwesi Appiah made the most of Will Hughes’ sloppy back pass to score.

Derby were given a great chance to level things after Johnny Russell was bundled over in the box by Jordan Obita.

Darren Bent stepped up and took the spot kick which was brilliantly saved by Adam Federici.

After the break, Reading were the better team and Michael Hector doubled their advantage.

The Royals then made it 3-0 as Garath McCleary scored from the penalty spot after Jem Karacan had been felled by Lee Grant. The victory saw Reading finish 19th in the final table.

Manager Steve Clarke said: “It was a good way to end the season. The players had been stuck in a rut and had forgotten how to win games, but today they remembered.”