DAVE Edwards is confident Reading FC have enough characters in the dressing room to recover from their rocky start.

Royals crashed to their fourth defeat in nine Championship games on Tuesday night when Millwall came from behind to win 2-1 at the New Den.

Jaap Stam’s Royals have now won just two league games this season and are languishing in 18th position.

To add to their woes they have failed to score a first-half goal in any of those games and have found the net just eight times in all.

Stam was also forced to defend his tactics last weekend when he was jeered by supporters during the 1-1 home draw with Hull City.

But Edwards, who opened his Royals account in the Millwall defeat, believes the players will survive ahead of a vital home clash against Norwich City this Saturday (5.30pm ko, live Sky Sports).

“We’ve got the right character in the dressing room to come out the other side of this with some victories,” declared Edwards.

“We’ve got a huge game again on Saturday back at the Madejski Stadium which is good for us. Hopefully we put in a performance which merits three points.

“I am really confident when I look around the dressing room in the quality of the players we’ve got, but also the character. When you get to this situation in the season, it’s the mentality that gets you through it.

“No-one at the club wants to be in the position we are at the moment, and none more so than the players. It seems to be the way it’s going at the moment, but we’re really confident that it’s going to turn.

“We know what we’ve got in the dressing room, we know we need to stick together, and I’m really confident that we can start stringing some wins together and climbing that table.”

Edwards headed Royals in front in the 73rd minute at Millwall for his first goal since his £1m summer switch from Wolves.

Reading Chronicle:

Dave Edwards heads home against Millwall on Tuesday night. Picture: Jason Dawson/jasonpix.

But ex-Reading youth player George Saville scored twice in five minutes to put the Lions 2-1 up.

However, Edwards felt Stam’s men should have been given the chance to make it 2-2 from the penalty spot when he was floored by James Meredith in injury time, only for referee Andy Madley to wave play on.

“I was s a stonewall penalty,” groaned the 31-year-old Wales midfielder. “Sone Aluko played a nice little ball, I saw the defender come steaming in and I thought that if I get a touch he’s going to have to clatter me – that’s what happened.

“The linesman was looking right at it, and unfortunately he’s right on the side of the Millwall fans. To not mince any words, I think he bottled it a bit.

“He gave a goal-kick and that’s the one decision he cannot give. Either he’s won it and it’s a corner, I’ve dived and it’s a booking, or it’s a penalty. There isn’t a scenario where it’s a goal-kick.”

Reading Chronicle:

Dave Edwards went down in the box after this challenge by Millwall's James Meredith, but no penalty was given.

Nevertheless, Edwards hopes his maiden Royals goal on Tuesday night will be the first of many.

“I got a run on my man and I always back myself to score,” he explained. “Those are the sorts of goals that I do score – arriving in the box, and a lot of headers.

“Hopefully it’s the first of many, but it doesn’t mean a lot when you don’t get three points.”

Royals are sweating on the fitness of Leandro Bacuna for Saturday's clash, though Jordan Obita (knee) and John Swift (hamstrings) have been ruled out and Yann Kermorgant is still recovering from surgery in the summer.

Nelson Oliveira, a firm Reading transfer target during the summer, is likely to feature for the 10th-placed Canaries.

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