A FINE solo strike from Lewis McGugan helped Nottingham Forest to a vital 1-0 victory at promotion chasing Reading and halt a run of six games without a win.

McGugan struck in the 62nd minute to earn Billy Davies' side a crucial three points to help maintain the gap between them and the bottom three.

It was no more than Forest deserved following a resurgent second- half in which they were the stronger side, following a first period dominated by Reading.

Forest should have gone behind in the second minute as Joel Lynch failed to clear a cross from the left, allowing Jimmy Kebe a free shot from ten yards, which he fired badly wide, while former Reds midfielder Brynjar Gunnarsson sent a glancing header narrowly over.

The visitors only mustered rare moments of threat, with Robert Earnshaw hitting the side netting with a low shot, as Reading generally dominated.

Luke Chambers survived a scare when he appeared to handle in the box and Nathan Tyson had to block bravely to deny Kebe, after Paul Smith had failed to come for a dropping ball on the edge of his six-yard box.

Smith twice made capable saves to deny Liam Rosenior, as the full-back repeatedly tried his luck from range.

Just after Paul Anderson had fired a low shot narrowly wide, across the face of goal, Forest suffered a blow as Tyson limped off injured, to be replaced by Garath McCleary – although the substitute almost had an immediate impact with a crisp, rising shot that went close.

Chris Cohen's driving running in midfield was giving Forest a growing threat on the counter-attack and he sent Earnshaw bursting into the box on the right, where the striker lifted a shot over.

But Forest will still have been pleased to have reached half-time with the scores level.

It was the visitors who began the second period the brighter, however, as they prodded and probed at the Reading defence and began to find a few gaps.

Moussi sent a skimming shot wide of the post and McCleary was a growing threat down the right flank.

But it was a flowing move down the left side that carved out Forest's best chance of the game so far, with Anderson cutting the ball back to Cohen on the edge of the box, where the midfielder drew a spectacular save from Adam Federici with a precise, curling shot.

Forest's short spell of pressure was eventually to tell, however, as McGugan produced a moment of individual brilliance to fire them ahead in the 62nd minute.

There seemed to be little danger when McCleary picked out McGugan on the right, but the midfielder accelerated towards goal and, after beating two men with some neat footwork, fired a crisp left-foot finish just inside the post from 15 yards.

In the 71st minute Earnshaw was booked for time wasting – but it was not as if Forest were holding onto their lead, as Reading struggled to perform with the same level of menace as they had done in the first period.

And, while Forest had to produce some resolute defending to hold on to their advantage, Smith's goal was rarely troubled as the Reds hung on for a morale-boosting success.