DERBY’S BOLD survival fight in the Sky Bet Championship continued after they snatched a dramatic 2-2 draw at Reading.

Ireland international Jason Knight played the first 67 minutes for the visitors, while Irish U21 international Festy Ebosele was introduced off the bench in the 57th minute.

Rams manager Wayne Rooney missed the game. He had felt unwell and remained at home, with his club saying that a Covid test had proved negative.

His side flattered to deceive in a lacklustre first-half display and went behind in the 37th minute when Junior Hoilett curled home from distance.

Hoilett struck again 11 minutes into the second half when he pounced from close range.

But Derby staged a remarkable late fightback, first reducing the deficit in the 86th minute through substitute Colin Kazim-Richards and then equalising through defender Curtis Davies in added time.

Derby were deducted 12 points in September for entering administration and nine points in November for EFL financial breaches, but they had hit form towards the end of 2021, with consecutive victories over Blackpool, West Brom and Stoke.

Struggling Reading had won only twice in 10 outings prior to this game and had not played since December 11 – a 1-0 defeat at West Brom – due to widespread Covid issues in their camp.

Derby, 11 points adrift of Reading, and safety, started sluggishly as the hosts exerted pressure high up the pitch, but the Rams were soon into their stride, with Max Bird firing over with an ambitious effort from 20 yards.

Reading replied forcefully and almost went ahead in the 18th minute. John Swift crossed from the left and Andy Carroll rose high to send a powerful downward header into the turf.

It appeared to be destined for the net but Derby goalkeeper Ryan Allsop made a superb sprawling save.

Home keeper Luke Southwood did well to push wide a deflected shot from Luke Plange before Reading went ahead eight minutes before the break.

Southwood launched a long ball forward, Carroll flicked it on and Hoilett beat Allsop with the sweetest of attempts from just outside the area.

Plange should have done better with a close-range header that flew over the home crossbar, but Derby immediately showed more forward intent after the interval.

Nathan Byrne found space on the right flank but his low, skidding cross failed to find an available team-mate.

Southwood then saved smartly from a fierce Tom Lawrence effort as Derby desperately sought the equaliser.

But they fell further behind in the 56th minute, when Tom Holmes nodded on a deep free-kick from Alen Halilovic.

Hoilett was lurking at the far post and, after controlling the ball cleverly, squeezed his shot through the legs of Allsop.

Derby pulled a goal back four minutes from the end when Southwood fumbled a high ball, which then hit Kazim-Richards and rolled into the net.

The Rams rallied and Davies then powered in a header from a Byrne cross to snatch the leveller one minute into added time.

Elsewhere, Alan Browne completed 90 minutes, while fellow Irish international Sean Maguire made an appearance off the bench in the 89th minute, as Preston beat Stoke City 2-1.

Andrew Hughes struck a late winner as his side came from behind to prevail.

The Welshman, who had not scored a league goal for nearly three years, headed in Ben Whiteman’s 84th-minute corner to make it two wins out of two for new boss Ryan Lowe.

Stoke, now with just one win in their last six games, took the lead after 46 minutes courtesy of defender Ben Wilmot’s goal-of-the-season contender.

The former Watford centre-half’s first goal for the club was a thumping 35-yard effort.

But Michael O’Neill’s play-off hopefuls failed to press home their advantage in one of only two Championship taking place on Monday.

Brad Potts volleyed home a spectacular equaliser after 59 minutes for his first goal since April before an unmarked Hughes powered in Whiteman’s corner from six yards.

Preston were back in action for the first time since a 2-1 win over Barnsley on December 11 – Lowe’s first match in charge.

Coronavirus put paid to their next three games, but they showed few signs of rustiness in the early stages.

Adam Davies smothered Whiteman’s 20-yard right-footed curler after 10 minutes before skipper Alan Browne headed narrowly wide from Whiteman’s corner 10 minutes later.

City boss O’Neill had made three changes to the starting line-up from the previous game against Derby, including a place for Tom Ince who scored in defeat to the Rams.

Steven Fletcher, who also stepped up from the bench, could not get any power on a half chance that landed via Hughes’ fluffed clearance as City finally threatened.

Potters talisman Tyrese Campbell was wasteful with several speculative efforts as Stoke again struggled for potency in the final third.

But Wilmot’s thunderbolt 55 seconds after half-time set the tone for a far more entertaining second period.

His stunning strike was only Stoke’s eighth goal in nine outings.

But Preston levelled with a stylish goal of their own.

There appeared little danger when Daniel Johnson collected a pass wide on Stoke’s right. But the Jamaica international sent over a superb cross which was volleyed home in acrobatic fashion by Potts.

And worse was to come for the home side as, for the second game running, they conceded a late winner. Just as Derby did last week, North End snatched victory as Hughes headed home.

Stoke, five points off the play-offs, have now won only one of their last eight home games in all competitions and were booed off at the final whistle.

Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy