CHRIS Gunter believes hard work on the training ground paid off for Reading FC after their first clean sheet in five Championship matches.

Right-back Gunter helped Nigel Adkins’ men shut out the Hornets in Saturday’s much-needed victory at Vicarage Road.

And the Wales international will be hoping for another solid performance at the back this weekend when Royals host Bolton Wanderers.

Gunter said: “Recently the training ground has been a place full of people determined to put things right.

“We know one victory can turn a lot of things into positives, so hopefully this is the start of that.”

Reading’s league form suffered a major dip over the festive period after a run of three straight defeats to Wigan Athletic, Leicester City and Middlesbrough.

But they stopped the rot on New Year’s Day when a late Stephen Kelly header salvaged a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.

Now Royals are looking up the table once again thanks to last weekend’s victory at Watford, and Gunter, 24, stated: “We know the games in the Championship come think and fast. We didn’t have the greatest time over the Christmas period but sometimes that’s just the Championship.

“You can go on runs of good wins and some runs of not winning. It’s just a case of not being too high when you’re on a good run and not being too low when you’re on a bad run.

“The manager we’ve got is the best at emphasising that and it showed at the weekend.”