Nottingham Forest moved a step closer to an immediate return to the Premiership thanks to a late winner from Chris Bart-Williams - but in the process they condemned Reading to relegation to Division Two.

Bart-Williams ended an afternoon of frustration for Forest by scoring three minutes from time to send the majority of the 28,000 crowd wild with delight.

Victory stretched Forest's lead to six points over Middlesbrough and Sunderland - the only sides who can still overtake them.

But, for Middlesbrough to do that, they would have to win their last two games against Wolves and Oxford by a hatful of goals, and Forest would have to lose their final game of the season at West Bromwich Albion.

The reaction of the Forest fans clearly indicated that they felt their side were back in the big time after just a one-season absence.

But Dave Bassett's side put their legion of fans on a knife-edge during a tense afternoon in which Forest struggled to produce the form which has seen them stay in the top six for the majority of the campaign.

It was Reading who had created the more clearcut openings on an emotional afternoon and substitute Paul Brayson almost silenced the City Ground when his shot hit the inside of a post and rebounded to safety.

But all that anxiety was forgotten when Bart-Williams, pushed up front for the second period, drilled home his fourth goal of the season.

Now Bassett can look forward to clinching promotion as a manager for the seventh time, his six previous occasions having come with Wimbledon (four) and Sheffield United (two).

But while there was ecstasy for the majority of the crowd, there was nothing but despair for the 2,000 Reading fans, who only three years ago saw their own team on the brink of the Premiership when they led 2-0 in the play-off final with Bolton.

The Royals eventually lost that game 4-3 and now face the grim prospect of Second Division football in their new £37million all-seater stadium next season.

Forest started confidently, but they found it hard to carve out any decent chances in the opening half against a Reading side who often dragged all 11 players back behind the ball.

Reading keeper Scott Howie did his best to gift a goal to the home side when Kevin Campbell charged down his attempted clearance and he was relieved to see Pierre van Hooijdonk head the rebound tamely into his arms.

Forest's best efforts in the opening 45 minutes came from long range via Scot Gemmill - a 20-yarder saved by Howie to his right - and a low drive from Andy Johnson, which curled the wrong side of the post.

It was Reading who created the best openings in that period when Jimmy McIntyre burst clear into the area and it needed a fine save from Forest keeper Dave Beasant to block his attempted chip.

But the Forest fans were incensed in the 32nd minute when van Hooijdonk appeared to be held back on the edge of the Reading penalty area by Stuart Gray, only for Middlesbrough referee Frankland to wave play on.

Forest were forced to reorganise in the second period, when Campbell, who has been suffering all week with a leg injury, failed to reappear and it resulted in Bart-Williams moving up front alongside van Hooijdonk.

Forest continued to dominate territorially, but they still seldom looked like breaking down the Reading rearguard, although in the 70th minute Howie did well to turn a shot at the far post from Ian Woan around the post following a Bart-Williams cross.

Reading suddenly started to believe that they could get something from the game and in the space of two minutes substitute Brayson could have twice put them ahead.

First he headed straight at Beasant and then Lady Luck was against him when his low drive beat the Forest keeper, but rebounded to safety via the inside of a post.

But, just when it seemed Forest were to be denied, up popped Bart-Williams with his dramatic winner.

A long freekick from Colin Cooper picked out the former Sheffield Wednesday player and he turned past a defender before planting a low drive past Howie.

Teams

Nottm Forest: Beasant, Bonalair, Rogers, Cooper, Chettle (Hjelde 45), Johnson, Stone, Gemmill, Van Hooijdonk, Campbell (Woan 45), Bart-Williams.

Subs Not Used: Pascolo.

Booked: Rogers.

Goals: Bart-Williams 87.

Reading: Howie, Bernal, Gray, Parkinson, Primus, O`Neill, Lovell, Caskey, McIntyre (Fleck 31), Crawford, Lambert, Fleck (Brayson 74).

Subs Not Used: Swales.

Booked: Primus, Lovell.

Att: 29,302

Ref: G B Frankland (Middlesbrough).