READING FC suffered last-minute heartbreak as Derby County’s Tom Lawrence gave Frank Lampard a dream start to management with a 2-1 win at Madejski Stadium.

Royals had taken a second-half lead through Jon Dadi Bodvarsson header but they were immediately pegged back by Mason Mount’s stunning long-range drive.

And the two sides looked set for a point each when Lawrence rose highest to head home second-half substitute Mason Bennett’s cross with seconds remaining on the clock.

Royals had no time to fight back either and had to settle for their second opening day defeat on the spin.

Clement handed debuts to Andy Yiadom and David Meyler while Marc McNulty, Sam Baldock and John O’Shea made the bench.

Meanwhile, Tiago Ilori stepped in to partner Paul McShane with Liam Moore expected to leave the club in the coming days.

Royals nearly got off to a lightning start when Meyler picked out a wayward pass and fed the ball to John Swift.

The midfield playmaker picked out Modou Barrow on the charge but the winger’s cross was cut out at the vital moment.

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson then scuppered a gilt-edged chance to score when he fired his shot straight at Scott Carson after being played in by Swift.

Royals looked rampant at in front of a jubilant home crowd and Bodvarsson missed another chance with eight minutes gone after Barrow’s rebounded cross fell straight to the Icelandic international.

Clement’s side were three against two with 16 minutes on the clock but Bodvarsson’s overcooked pass narrowly avoided Swift, who would have been clean through.

Frank Lampard’s Rams tried to take the sting out of the game but Royals continued to play with fire in their bellies as Barrow continued to cause Andre Wisdom all sorts of problems on the left flank.

Former Barnsley man Yiadom showed his attacking quality early on with some neat trickery before a teasing cross was well cleared for a corner.

Barrow found himself in the thick of the action once again when the Gambian international’s early cross fell just inches short of the on-rushing John Swift after 33 minutes.

But despite wave after wave of attack, Clement’s side looked goal-shy as they struggled to convert their chances.

Liam Kelly forced Carson into a strong save at the near post after 42 minutes following another promising counter-attack by Royals.

Carson was called back into action seconds later when Tiago Ilori’s header fell straight into his gloves following a corner.

Sone Aluko then had the final chance of the half when he cut inside on his favoured left foot before curling a shot high and wide of the goal.

The visitors came flying out of the blocks and thought they had taken the lead when David Nugent headed beyond Mannone with 47 minutes gone.

Royals could breathe a sigh of relief when the linesman raised his flag and chalked off the one-time England international’s effort for offside.

Reading finally took their chance when Barrow’s inch-perfect delivery was met by Bodvarsson at the far-post.

The forward made amends for his first-half display when he rose highest and powered a header beyond the helpless Carson to send Madejski Stadium into raptures.

The lead did not last long however as Chelsea loanee Mason Mount got off to a dream start in Derby colours when his long-range drive was fumbled by Mannone and trickled into the net.

Boss Clement threw on Baldock after 66 minutes and went for two strikers up top as he looked to restore Royals’ dominance on the game.

Derby had a spring in their step following Mount’s strike and began to show their authority as Royals began to tire.

Clement had another throw of the dice when he swapped Bodvarsson for Meite while the Rams had Reading on the back foot.

Former Hull City man Meyler had his heart in his mouth when his boot caught Harry Wilson and sent the Liverpool loanee sprawling to the deck.

Thankfully for Reading, referee Robert Jones opted not to brandish a second yellow card.

The final 15 minutes became an end-to-end affair with both sides pushing for a late winner to get their seasons off to a perfect start.

Italian shot-stopper Mannone made amends for his earlier error when he denied Wilson a gilt-edged chance for a winner at his near-post with a strong save.

Tempers began to flare when Yakou Meite and Bradley Johnson came nose-to-nose with the clock running down at Madejski Stadium.

And just as the two sides looked set to settle for a point, Tom Lawrence rose highest to steer Mason Bennett's cross into the back of the net on the stroke of full-time.

Royals fell to the ground in sheer disbelief and had no time to fight back as Lampard took all three points back to the midlands.

Reading FC: Mannone, Yiadom, McShane, Ilori, Richards, Meyler (Bacuna, 86), Swift (Buldock, 66), Kelly, Barrow, Aluko, Bodvarsson (Meite, 75).

Subs not used: Walker, O’Shea, Clement, McNulty

Derby County: Carson, Wisdom, Bryson, Keogh, Wilson, Mount, Lawrence, Lowe, Nugent (Bennett, 72), Davies, Ledley (Johnson, 68).

Subs not used: Roos, Jozefzoon, Bogle, Thomas

Bookings: Wisdom (21), Meyler (36), Kelly (37), Bryson (43), Lowe (46),

Referee: Robert Jones

Attendance: 16,923 (1,947 away)