READING FC’s wait for a Championship win came to an end after a dramatic 90th minute winner from Tyrese Fornah.
The midfielder popped up with the all important goal late in the day to see the Royals snatch a vital win over Rotherham United.
Lee Peltier had put the visitors in front before Andy’s Carroll’s thumping header levelled the game quickly after the restart.
With the game headed for a draw, Fornah found a crucial winner when he headed in from close range.
The win lifts Reading up to 13th position, 12 points clear of the relegation zone.
After Reading’s late defeat at Sunderland, Paul Ince rather surprisingly didn’t opt to make any changes to the starting 11.
Liam Moore missed out on the squad due to another injury setback, while Tom Holmes also wasn’t deemed fit enough.
Mamadou Loum was still absent, serving the last game of his two match suspension which meant Tom McIntyre was deployed in central midfield for the second successive game.
There was a place in the Rotherham starting line-up for former Royals Academy graduate Tarique Fosu, who is on loan from Brentford.
The Royals would be hoping for a much better display than the reverse fixture which saw them thumped 4-0 by the newly promoted side early on in the campaign.
Up against a side in the midst of a relegation dogfight, Reading needed to take the initiative and be on the frontfoot. They did so in a promising opening 10 minutes.
The Millers looked to disrupt Reading’s rhythm and gave away several free-kicks that almost led to chances for the hosts.
After Andy Carroll headed a corner into the path of Jeff Hendrick, the Irishman looked to continue his g\recent goal scoring streak, but saw his half volley blocked.
The ball fell kindly for Royals skipper Andy Yiadom from a free-kick, but a Rotherham body managed to themselves in the way to deflect his effort behind for a corner.
But the Royals’ attacking momentum began to fade as the visitors settled down into the contest to make it a more even affair.
Conor Washington had the Millers’ first sight of goal and won his team a corner when his shot was diverted away for a corner.
Reading were given a scare in the 32nd minute when the away team came inches away from snatching the lead after Lee Peltier’s shot smacked the top of the crossbar.
The warning signs were there but were not heeded as Rotherham clinched the opener with their next chance. And it was Peltier who got on the end of a free-kick to nod into the far corner not long after striking the woodwork with his previous opportunity.
Rotherham had a golden chance to double their money just before half-time when Fosu flashed a cross into the box that was met first time by Hakeem Odoffin who blazed over the target.
As the half-time whistle sounded, the home crowd voiced their frustrations with the Royals needing a much improved display to turn the game around.
The poor first-half prompted Ince to make a double switch before the restart. Tyrese Fornah and Femi Azeez replaced Hoilett and Long.
Early in the half, substitutes Azeez and Guinness-Walker combined down the left to win a free-kick.
It proved to be the catalyst for the leveller as Azeez floated a free-kick in the direction of Carroll who rose high and sent a bullet header into the corner.
Azeez continued to cause problems for the Rotherham defence and after he skipped past a defender his blasted shot at the near post had to be parried away.
Rotherham reminded that they still posed a threat on the break and they went route one to find Washington’s run, but Naby Sarr did just enough to get back and make a vital block before the forward scuffed the rebound wide.
Tyrese Fornah looked to hit what would have been a stunning volley had it slammed into the top corner, but he sliced a tricky chance off target.
With the game about to head into stoppage time, Fornah came up with his best moment yet in a Reading shirt to head in from close range to put his side in front.
The Royals held on to add three points to take them further away from the relegation zone.
Reading climb up to 13th place, 12 points above the relegation zone.
Reading: Lumley, Yiadom (c), Mbengue, Sarr, Hoilett, Rahman, McIntyre, Hendrick, Hendrick, Ince, Long, Carroll
Subs: Bouzanis, Dann, Meite, Azeez, Guinness-Walker, Fornah, Casadei
Rotherham: Johansson, Bramall, Coventry, Fosu, Hugill, Washington, Rathbone (c), Peltier, Odoffin, Humphreys, Wright
Subs: Vickers, Harding, Eaves, Ogbene, Ferguson, Hall, Quina
Goals: Peltier 38’, Carroll 52’, Fornah 90′
