How the Irish fared: Skipper Paul McShane key for Reading

Paul McShane has often been the subject of senseless ridicule but the whole-hearted defender looks to have found the perfect place to showcase his talents in Reading.

McShane joined the Royals from Hull in the summer and was swiftly installed as club captain by manager Steve Clarke.

The Wicklow man enjoyed another excellent day on Saturday, brilliantly marshalling a defence that kept a clean sheet against the previously free-scoring Middlesbrough as Reading won 2-0 to climb to third in the Championship.

“It’s great to get a clean sheet, I thought we were solid throughout,” McShane said.

“As a defender, the clean sheet is like scoring a goal as a striker, so I’m buzzing to come away with a clean sheet and three points. It’s been a great period.”

Elsewhere, a goal from Joe Mason earned Cardiff City a 1-1 draw against Chris Hughton’s Brighton.

The Seagulls remain top but a third successive draw left Hughton somewhat frustrated.

He said: “There is a touch of disappointment as we could have more points than we have. But I can’t ask for more. If we’d known that after 10 games we would have been unbeaten and top of the division, we would have been delighted.”

Mick McCarthy apologised to the Ipswich fans after the Tractor Boys crashed to a 2-0 defeat to Blackburn.

“That was as poor as we have been in the three years I have been here and I feel sorry for our fans who watched that. That performance wasn’t good enough,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy wasn’t the only one saying sorry as Brentford midfielder Alan Judge took to Twitter to apologise for Brentford’s 2-0 defeat at Derby.

He wrote: “That was totally unacceptable. All I can do is apologise to the fans who travelled up to watch that.”

Alan Browne was on the scoresheet but his effort was a mere consolation as Preston lost 3-1 at Sheffield Wednesday.

In League One, Chris Forrester was on the mark as Peterborough beat Millwall 5-3 while Paddy Madden scored the only goal in Scunthorpe’s win over Fleetwood.

In League Two, Callum O’Dowda scored in Oxford’s 3-1 win at Accrington while Barry Corr rescued a 2-2 draw for Cambridge against York.

In the Scottish Premiership, Joe Shaughnessy was among the scorers as rampant St Johnstone powered to a stunning 5-1 win over leaders Aberdeen.