JAAP Stam is confident his Reading FC players can handle the pressure of the Championship play-offs following tonight’s victory against Blackburn Rovers.

Royals chalked up a third successive league win as a Yann Kermorgant brace and Garath McCleary strike secured a 3-1 victory over Rovers at Madejski Stadium.

With Leeds losing at Brentford, Reading moved up to third in the table and nine points inside the play-off positions with six matches remaining.

And Stam believed his squad has what it takes to deal with whatever is in front of them.

“I think it’s been coming all season,” declared the Dutchman. “For the most part of it we’ve been in the top six.

“There’s still a possibility we could get knocked out if we lose our games and the others win theirs.

“But we are determined to stay in there and maybe something nice can happen towards the end of the season.

“Before all that we have to go to Norwich and then Aston Villa which will be very difficult games. Even the Rotherham game at home won’t be easy. We really need to work had for our results and, if we do that and keep the players as fit as possible, hopefully we can stay up there.”

Royals were cruising through Kermorgant’s brace, taking the Frenchman’s tally to 13 for the season and four in his last three games.

But Elliott Bennett reduced the deficit during a vastly improved second half from the struggling visitors, only for McCleary to notch a third to make the game safe.

And Stam is urging his players to grasp their opportunity.

“You need to go for it,” he said. “Even if you are a small team you need to keep momentum to stay up there.

“A lot of things can happen in these last six games but I think the team deserved to be up there because of what we have done all season.

“Hopefully we can keep this going and do well at Norwich which won’t be easy.”

Reading Chronicle:

Yann Kermorgant heads his second goal of the night against Blackburn.

He added: “There has been belief in the team all season that we can do well. We can make it difficult for any Championship team and this is the quality we have.

“We’ve had some very good performances over the season and now because the end is in sight it puts thing in players’ heads to stay in the top six.

“Some players get weak when they are up there, the pressure is on and their team loses. But our team has responded very well to pressure.

“They know that if they keep playing like this they can have a very nice summer.”

However, Stam accused his players of becoming ‘sloppy’ against Rovers and to tighten up when they go to Norwich on Saturday (3pm ko).

“You can get too comfortable and sloppy sometimes,” he confessed. “We gave balls away which gave Blackburn the opportunity to get forward and score their goal.

“I told them at half time they needed to dig deep to win the game, be sharp and stay focussed.

“Blackburn also changed the way they played and their system, as teams do when they go behind. Leeds did the same on Saturday.

“They put two up front and it was difficult to organise from the touchline. We couldn’t get into our momentum again or keep possession and they were more of a threat.

“When they scored I thought ‘what’s going to happen now?’ But McCleary scored the third one which made it easier for us. We had more chances on the break and the score could have been higher in the end.”

Stam confirmed Jordan Obita is available for the trip to Norwich after recovering from severe cramp, though Paul McShane remains sidelined.