|
Hughes headed in a Graeme Murty cross 16 minutes from time after a tense promotion struggle at the Madejski Stadium.
The atmosphere inside the Madejski Stadium was absolutely electric all evening in a game that was a teriffic advert for the First Division.
Royals fans went home elated in the knowledge that top six finish is all but secure.
The goal was rough luck on Forest who had created the better early opportunities, but who have now managed only a single point from their last four league games, which all have been against promotion chasing rivals.
Striker Marlon Harewood was the biggest threat to the home side's defence and the big striker created Forest's first opening midway through the first half when he set up Eoin Jess for a low shot which was smartly saved by Marcus Hahnemann.
Two minutes later Hahnemann was even more alert as he a brilliantly parried a point-blank Darren Huckerby shot after Harewood had played him clear.
And when Hahnemann was finally beaten Forest were denied by the woodwork, midfielder Andy Reid seeing his shot smack against the post after a slip by Adie Williams had allowed Huckerby to send the midfielder through on goal.
That let-off provided a wake-up call for Reading who posed more of a threat in the second half, though they still found a well-organised Forest defence hard to break down.
Striker Nicky Forster saw his clever cross headed wide by Hughes and substitute Ricky Newman and midfielder James Harper both went close with long-range strikes.
Reading's increasing pressure should have earned them a penalty when Eugen Bopp clearly handled in the penalty area, though the German midfielder's indiscretion went unseen by referee Clive Penton.
But Reading finally made the breakthrough on 74 minutes when Murty found space down the right and sent in a deep cross for Hughes to climb between two defenders and send a header back across the despairing dive of goalkeeper Darren Ward.
Forest applied some pressure late on, but were unable to break through a resolute Reading rearguard.