GEORGE Evans netted his first goal in Reading FC colours to earn Jaap Stam's men a late share of the spoils against Derby County.

Rams looked to be heading home with all three points after former Royals loanee Matej Vydra put them ahead in the 61st minute.

But Evans rescued a draw for Jaap Stam's hosts by converting a John Swift corner in the 90th minute.

While neither side will have been happy with a draw, it was probably a fair result to game that rarely burst into life.

In fact, this was one of Reading's worst performances for several weeks. Stam's men kept possession well enough, but they lacked punch up front for most of the afternoon.

Yet Royals' perseverance finally paid off as the game edged towards injury time when ex-Manchester City midfielder Evans popped up in the box with the all-important goal.

Stam made two changes from the side that lost 4-1 at Brentford on Tuesday.

Garath McCleary returned from a three-match ban in place of Callum Harriott, while Danny Williams came back into midfield in stead of Joey van den Berg, who was unavailable through illness.

A number of former Royals were making their return to Berkshire with Alex Pearce and Vydra both in the Derby starting line-up and Nick Blackman and Chris Baird on the bench.

But Rams manager Nigel Pearson was nowhere to be seen after the club suspended him following a bust-up with owner, Mel Morris.

That meant caretaker boss Chris Powell took charge of the visitors, who arrived on the back of a much-needed midweek win at Cardiff City.

Royals nearly went in front in the fourth minute when Yann Kermorgant placed a shot an inch wide of the far post after good work from September's Player of the Month, John Swift.

The hosts maintained control and threatened again 10 minutes later when Liam Moore headed over from McCleary's corner.

Stam's men were playing some decent stuff and bossing possession, but their final ball was poor when a bit more quality was needed in the final third.

Rams, though, struggled to create anything meaningful until the 25th minute when a long-range effort from Bradley Johnson went out for a corner after Liam Moore had blocked a Tom Ince drive.

It lead to a decent spell for the visitors who also saw Ince shoot directly at Ali Al Habsi from outside the box nine minutes later.

Ince then blazed a Derby free-kick miles over the bar after Williams committed a foul 25 yards out.

But the best chance of an otherwise dire opening 45 minutes came on the stroke of the half time when Kermorgant arrived late in the box but could only plant a bullet header straight into Scott Carson's arms from McCleary's flag-kick.

The first chance of the second half also fell to the Frenchman, but he couldn't keep his header on target from Roy Beerens' cross.

Then Derby almost broke the deadlock just before the hour mark.

Al Habsi could only punch Jacob Butterfield's corner straight to Ince outside the Reading area.

The Rams' midfielder's shot took a deflections and looked to be going in until Kermorgant put the ball behind for another flag-kick, from which Richard Keogh headed wide.

However, the visitors did take the lead in the 61st minute through Vydra.

Gunter, whose passing was below par all game, was booked for pulling back Will Hughes near the corner of the Reading box.

Cyrus Christie whipped over a dangerous free-kick which Vydra managed to turn past Al Habsi for a 1-0 lead.

Royals nearly levelled four minutes later when Swift stung Carson's hands from a free-kick 25 yards out before Harriott's shot on the rebound was blocked in front of goal.

But it needed a brilliant save from Al Habsi to deny Vydra a second from point-blank range after an excellent cross from Ikechi Anya with 75 minutes gone.

Little was going Reading's way and Beerens saw a weak penalty appeal waved away by referee Tim Robinson following a collision with Keogh.

Stam had seen enough and he ended a miserable afternoon for Gunter by taking him off and throwing on Joseph Mendes as an extra striker.

Meanwhile, Powell's final change was an unpopular one with Reading fans as Blackman replaced Vydra to a chorus of boos.

And within moment of that Reading home a 90th minute equaliser to rescue a point.

The hosts' persistence won them a corner, Swift's delivery was helped on by Mendes and Evans was well placed to stab home from close range.

This was far from a vintage Reading performance, but Evans' late goal at least gives them something to build on going into the international break.

Reading: Al-Habsi, Gunter (Mendes 81), Obita, McShane (c), Moore, Evans, Swift, Williams, Beerens, McCleary (Harriott 63), Kermorgant. Subs not used: Jaakkola, Wieser, Gravenberch, Watson, Kelly. Booked: McCleary 60, Gunter 61.

Derby County: Carson, Christie, Keogh, Pearce, Olsson (Baird 77), Johnson, Butterfield, Hughes (Russell 82), Ince, Anya, Vydra (Blackman 85). Subs not used: Wilson, Weiman, Mitchell, Bent. Booked: Johnson 45, Hughes 65.

Referee: Tim Robinson.

Attendance: 17,002 (Derby 1,565).