Reading Under-23s manager Noel Hunt has lauded his sides progression after a 3-1 win over PL2 Division Two champions Fulham.

Going two-nil up through Rashawn Scott and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, the young Royals bounced back from conceding to notch another through Scott.

The win leaves Reading level on points with second-bottom Middlesbrough, their final opponents of the season, with the opportunity to leapfrog into 11th by the end of the season.

Former Royals striker Hunt joined the club as Under-23 manager in February, and hints that he is already seeing positive changes in the side.

Speaking to the club website, he said: “We put in a really positive performance, and I was really pleased with the win.

“At the back, the boys are starting to put their bodies on the line and die to defend the goal. You’ve got to have that desire to defend, no matter if you’re a defender or a midfielder or a striker – you have to want to do everything to stop the ball going into the back of the net.

“We’ve been good in both boxes as of late. The way we were pressing, the intensity we’re working at, our game understanding was very good.

“We scored three really good goals, the build-up play worked well – we could and should have scored more.

“We’ve talked a lot about goals in games not affecting us as a team – because our objectives don’t change. And when they brought it back to 2-1, we went back to basics and worked out how we were going to earn our territory again.

 

Reading Chronicle:

 

“We are a front foot team. We’re aggressive in our press, we’re hungry to win the ball back, to hunt in packs, to press as a team. To have those energy levels and fitness levels takes time, but we’re getting there.”