But the Madejski Stadium side must embark on a winning run if they are to stay at the sharp end of the division.
The impressive Millwall, who didn't play this afternoon, and also Watford, can go above the Royals if they win their games in hand.
However, with many of the leading teams failing to pick up maximum points Reading's defeat at Derby may not prove to be too costly.
West Ham were the only team in the top eight to win this afternoon, allowing the division's basement teams to close the gap.
The Championship's big boys - Leeds United, Leicester and Sunderland - who have been trapped at the bottom, all picked up maximum points this afternoon.
And although the giant only have eight points each, they just four points adrift of the top six. Very soon the league could begin to adopt the order of things pundits were predicting pre-season.
This afternoon's Championship results:
Derby County 2 Reading 1
Gillingham 0 Sunderland 4
Leeds United 3 Coventry City 0
Nottm Forest 0 Cardiff City 0
Preston NE 3 Stoke City 0
QPR 3 Plymouth 2
Rotherham Utd 0 Leicester City 2
Sheff Utd 1 West Ham Utd 2
Watford 1 Brighton 1
Wolves 3 Wigan Athletic 3
Burnley 3 Crewe 0
The league table
| Last game played on Saturday 11th September 2004 | Pld | Home | Away | Overall | Pts | GD | |||||||||||||||||
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | |||||||||
| 1 | Wigan Athletic | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 7 | 15 | +8 | ||||
| 2 | Stoke City | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 14 | +2 | ||||
| 3 | Ipswich Town | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 13 | +5 | ||||
| 4 | Plymouth Argyle | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 13 | +2 | ||||
| 5 | West Ham United | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 13 | +1 | ||||
| 6 | Reading | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 12 | +1 | ||||
| 7 | Sheffield United | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 11 | +2 | ||||
| 8 | Watford | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 10 | +4 | ||||
| 9 | Preston North End | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 10 | +3 | ||||
| 10 | Millwall | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | +2 | ||||
| 11 | Coventry City | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 10 | +1 | ||||
| 12 | Burnley | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 9 | +2 | ||||
| 13 | Derby County | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 9 | -1 | ||||
| 14 | Gillingham | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 9 | -5 | ||||
| 15 | Sunderland | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 8 | +2 | ||||
| 16 | Leeds United | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 8 | +1 | ||||
| 17 | Leicester City | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | -1 | ||||
| 18 | Queens Park Rangers | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 8 | -4 | ||||
| 19 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 8 | -4 | ||||
| 20 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 5 | -2 | ||||
| 21 | Crewe Alexandra | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 15 | 5 | -4 | ||||
| 22 | Nottingham Forest | 7 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 5 | -4 | ||||
| 23 | Cardiff City | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 5 | -4 | ||||
| 24 | Rotherham United | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 3 | -7 | ||||
| COLOUR KEY: | Promotion place(s) | Transfer place(s) | ||
| Play-off place(s) | Relegation place(s) |