Nottingham Forest's unbeaten run under new manager Dougie Freedman continued with a 3-0 win over Reading thanks to goals from Ben Osborn, Matty Fryatt and Gary Gardner.

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Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak nearly put his side ahead from a Jordan Obita corner early into what was an otherwise scrappy and uneventful first half.

Simon Cox should have done better with Chris Gunter's smart cutback just after the half-hour mark, but the striker's effort ended up in the stands high above Karl Darlow's goal.

Cox then teed up Pogrenyak to fire narrowly wide before Garath McCleary's low drive was cleared off the line by Jamaal Lascelles on the stroke of half time.

Adam Federici's acrobatic save kept out Fryatt's header shortly after the restart, before Freedman's team took the lead in spectacular fashion.

It was young Forest midfielder Osbourn who broke the deadlock, curling home his third goal for the club from 25 yards.

Pogrebnyak nearly outdid Osbourn with a volley from the edge of the box 10 minutes later, but Darlow reacted quickly to palm the ball over the top of his goal.

Fryatt's mazy run and powerful finish from close range then doubled Forest's lead, before Gardner hammered an effort home from all of 30 yards just minutes after coming on.

Substitute Yakubu Aiyegbeni carved out a late chance for Nathaniel Chalobah, but the on-loan Chelsea midfielder could only blaze over the top as the Royals went without a consolation.

The result is Reading's fourth defeat in five league games but a fifth win in their last six for Forest.