Frank Lampard's first competitive match in management has ended in a dramatic 2-1 victory, as his Derby County side battled back from a goal down to beat Reading 2-1 on the opening night of the Championship season.
The Rams found themselves behind at the Madejski Stadium through Jon Dadi Bodvarsson's deserved goal early in the second half, but Vito Mannone gifted the visitors a route back into the game by failing to deal with Mason Mount's drive.
Just when the contest looked to be heading for a draw, Tom Lawrence directed a header into the far corner in the third minute of added time to give Lampard a dream start to life in management.
Both sides had a couple of debutants in their starting lineups for this curtain-raising fixture in the EFL, but it was the hosts who settled the quicker.
Looking far more direct than last season, the ball was worked forward and a couple of early openings went begging for Bodvarsson.
An error at the back allowed John Swift to slot the ball through for his teammate, who could not quite flick the ball past the outrushing Scott Carson, and the Derby keeper was well positioned to keep out the Icelandic striker's tame effort two minutes later.
Derby, starting their sixth successive campaign with a new manager, looked disjointed and failed to create a single chance in the opening 45 minutes.
Paul Clement's biggest frustration heading into the interval would have been his side's failure to take the lead, with Swift being thwarted by Carson at his near post late in the half and Tiago Ilori's header being kept out from the resulting corner.
Derby did improve in the early stages of the second half, with David Nugent being denied an opener by the offside flag, but Reading were in front eight minutes after the restart.
Some sloppy play in midfield and equally poor defending from the Rams allowed Bodvarsson to make amends for his earlier misses, as he got on the end of Barrow's centre and guided the ball out of Carson's reach.
The Royals' lead lasted less than 10 minutes, however, as Chelsea loanee Mount's speculative shot somehow squirmed through Mannone's grasp.
Lawrence cut in from the left and brushed the side-netting with his shot, with County looking the more likely to find a winner.
Harry Wilson, another of Derby's young debutants, nearly snatched all three points late on as a cross from the left was not cut out, but his shot from close range was well kept out by Manone.
The winner did arrive deep into added time, though, thanks to Lawrence's glanced header into the far corner after being spotted in the middle by substitute Mason Bennett.
READING (4-5-1): Mannone; Yiadom, Richards, Ilori, McShane; Meyler (Bacuna 85'), Kelly; Swift (Baldock 67'), Aluko, Barrow; Bodvarsson (Meite 75')
DERBY COUNTY (4-3-3): Carson; Wisdom, Bryson, Keogh, Lowe; Bryson, Ledley (Johnson 69'), Mount; Wilson, Nugent (Bennett 73'), Lawrence (Pearce 95')
Daniel Lewis
