JOHN Swift put on an eye-catching display as Reading FC beat nine-man Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Madejski Stadium.

The 23-year-old midfielder was the heartbeat of Jose Gomes’ midfield and looked dangerous from the outset before giving Royals a deserved lead in the first half.

Forest tried to get back into the game but were thwarted by two red cards, a second booking for captain Danny Fox after a melee on the field and then a straight red for Tendayi Darikwa.

Royals were already in cruise control when Andy Yiadom sealed Forest’s fate, courtesy of a wicked deflection off Jack Robinson, deep in the second half.

Here’s how we thought the Royals performed this afternoon.

Anssi Jaakola: 6/10 - The big Finnish goalkeeper had very little to do this afternoon as Nottingham Forest failed to really test him. A comfortable afternoon for Reading’s defence and Jaakola will be delighted to have kept a clean sheet. Distribution was also better.

Andy Yiadom: 7/10 Showed so much energy down the flanks to support Royals’ attacking play and came up with a goal-saving tackle to deny Daryl Murphy in the 13th minute. The full-back continued to work hard and sealed Forest’s fate in the 87th minute when his dangerous cross crashed off Jack Robinson and into the back of the net.

Liam Moore: 6/10 - Looked very comfortable with Royals’ high-pressing game and both he and Tiago Ilori dealt with just about everything an underwhelming Nottingham Forest could throw at them.

Tiago Ilori: 6/10 - Didn’t let the recent speculation surrounding his future phase him and put on another composed display at the heart of Reading’s defence.

Omar Richards: 6/10 - A solid performance from the young left-back who was guilty of conceding a penalty at Old Trafford last week. He was booked for a poor challenge in the first-half but he defended well and provided an additional outlet on the wing whenever Reading went forward.

Andy Rinomhota: 7/10 - The young midfielder has deserved all of his plaudits since stepping up to the senior team and put in another eye-catching display today. Rinomhota never seemed to run out of energy and was a constant thorn in Forest’s side. He also showed his versatility again after playing much of the second half as a wing-back.

Leandro Bacuna: 6/10 - A professional performance in the centre of midfield. He didn’t have the licence to go forward as much as we have seen him do in recent weeks but he provided vital support to the back line. The ex-Aston Villa midfielder was also pivotal in Reading’s first goal with a wonderful pass which split the Forest midfield wide open.

Ovie Ejaria: 7/10 - A very impressive debut from the young loanee who was clearly eager to make an impression in Berkshire. Ejaria was all over the pitch, particularly in the fist half, and made things happen in midfield. Perhaps unlucky not to mark his debut with a goal following a couple of half-chances but a stellar first game for the Liverpool man.

John Swift: 8/10 - The playmaker looked more like the Swift we saw in his debut season at Madejski Stadium and was the heartbeat of much of Reading’s attacking play. The ex-Chelsea midfielder took his goal well and deserved the man of the match plaudits.

Modou Barrow: 7/10 - The fleet-footed forward was deployed on the right by Jose Gomes and looked threatening throughout. He linked up well with the midfield and claimed a wonderful assist with a lung-busting run and inch-perfect cross for Swift to convert.

John Dadi Bodvarsson: 7/10 - Looked dangerous from the off and caused the Forest defence all sorts of problems with his relentless pressing. Perhaps should have scored in the first half but he unselfishly opted to try and pick out Modou Barrow after doing all the hard work but a very solid performance nonetheless.

Lewis Baker: 6/10 - The Chelsea loanee put in a good shift after stepping off of the bench but really should have marked his debut with a goal. Bodvarsson had done brilliantly to set him up and all Baker had to do was place the ball into the back of the net but he blazed it over the crossbar.

Garath McCleary: 6/10 - Perhaps didn’t have enough time on the field to stamp his authority but he looked lively as soon as he stepped onto the pitch. The Jamaican international was unlucky not to score against his former side after a wonderful run through the middle of the park.

Danny Loader: N/A -