McDermott elated with first three points

Reading manager Brian McDermott has said the players deserved their victory over Everton yesterday, praising their second half display.

It was the Royals' first Premier League victory and overall three points since seven month's ago, when Reading beat Nottingham Forest to make it to the top flight. In a poor first half from the home side, Everton took the lead through Steven Naismith after some comical defending. However, Adam Le Fondre's double sealed the victory at the Madejski Stadium.

Speaking to the Official Reading FC website, McDermott said: 'I`m so pleased for the players - they`ve deserved that and that`s a culmination of events over a ten game period. Today was what we are all about and it's been coming for a long time. Today, I thought we deserved to win the game in the second half.'

'We've also deserved to win other games, we should have won other games, but 'should haves' don't get you points and aren't relevant. Today we got the points and we also saw the game out well. The message at half time was just to get the tempo up and play as we play. We are what we are, a working man's team.'

The win also takes Reading out of the relegation zone into 17th place, with Aston Villa occupying the last relegation spot. This will also hopefully keep the McDermott doubters quiet for a little while longer, but to go to a Wigan side next week low on confidence, we could be looking for another three points.

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.