JAAP Stam insists his players must improve on the ball after suffering his first defeat as Reading FC manager with a 2-0 loss at Wolves.

Royals launched their new campaign by bossing and beating Preston in the Championship and Plymouth in the EFL Cup first round.

But while they also dominated possession at Molineux on Saturday, Stam's men fell to goals from Matt Doherty and Joe Mason in each half.

And Royals boss Stam admitted his players were simply not good enough on the ball.

"It’s always a bad feeling if you lose," he confessed. “There was a lot of space to play the ball, we got a lot of time to have possession.

"But we were not good on the ball, we lost it too quick, and if you lose the ball that quick in the build-up, the opposition are going to get chances. That’s what happened.

"Wolves were really up for it - they wanted to get to every ball and try to go forward straight away. They did that well, but we gave them too many chances.”

He also added: "If you see an opponent who is dropping in, but still gives you space to play in - and yet you make mistakes on the ball, the opponent will take advantage and score goals.

"Football is a game of mistakes. If no-one makes mistakes, there would hardly be any goals scored.

“Sometimes somebody makes a mistake or makes a different choice to the one he needs to make, and you concede goals."

Royals re-called Ali Al Habsi, Paul McShane, Jordan Obita and Garath McCleary to the side which cruised past Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Cup last week.

But Wolves who nearly took the lead early on when Joao Teixeira set up Mason, only for Al Habsi to make a vital save.

Teizeira, Conor Coady, Danny Batth and Jón Dadi Bödvarsson all had efforts before the half-hour mark, while Yann Kermorgant had the first chance of note for Royals.

Lee Evans was the next home player to fire wide, while George Saville was denied by Al Habsi before Doherty gave his side the lead on 42 minutes, blasting home from the middle of the box.

John Swift saw a free-kick blocked shortly as Reading fought back, but Wolves double their advantage two minutes after half-time when Mason headed home from a Saville corner.

George Evans, McCleary and Roy Beerens all had shots on goal as the visitors tried to rally, while substitute Yakou Meite missed with a header almost immediately after replacing Beerens.

However, Mason almost made it three for the hosts when he was thwarted by Al Habsi, and although Danny Williams and Meite had further efforts, Royals could not break down a stubborn and well-organised Wolves side.

Stam is now demanding a reaction from his players ahead of Wednesday night's trip to Newcastle United (7.45pm ko).

"I believe in how we work and how we play,” he declared. “All the players have a lot of confidence in the system, as do the technical staff.

"But you need to be focused, aggressive and very sharp in these games. You don't want to make mistakes. That’s why you train, that’s why you put a lot of time into things and try to improve.

"In training sessions you have in between games, even if it’s only one or two training sessions before the next match – you can still train, you can still improve. That’s what we’ll be trying to do."

Reading return to the Madejski Stadium this Saturday when they host Brighton & Hove Albion (3pm ko).