JAAP Stam hailed his Reading FC players for executing his game-plan to perfection in their victory at Derby County.

Royals ended Derby’s eight-match unbeaten run with a stunning 4-2 win at Pride Park on Saturday.

It is the first time Reading have won back-to-back Championship games this season following last week’s success against Nottingham Forest.

And Stam admitted thorough homework was the key to beating Gary Rowett’s Rams.

"It's always important how you start against a team like Derby and we prepared well,” stated Royals’ boss.

"We know how well Derby have been playing in the last few games and everyone knows they were the team in form going into the weekend. They had a very good run, unbeaten in the league six I think.

"But we studied them, as we do every team, and we saw opportunities that, if we did well, we could take advantage of and make it difficult for them.

"We succeeded in doing that."

Royals got off to a dream start at Pride Park when Liam Moore headed the visitors in front from John Swift’s ninth-minute free kick.

Sone Aluko doubled the lead just four minutes later with a superb finish for his second goal in as many games.

It became 3-0 to Stam’s men in the 54th minute when Roy Beerens punished a wayward Curtin Davies back park.

Johnny Russell pulled one back for Derby in the 71st minute, but Mo Barrow made it 4-1 four minutes later to render Chris Martin’s 90th minute strike little more than a consolation for the Rams.

Reading moved up to 18th in the Championship heading into a fortnight’s international break, and Stam added: "We knew Derby would give a bit of space away. If we could be brave and exploit that space we would get opportunities.

"We explored the space we got, went forward and scored goals.

"At 2-0 up, they had to come out even more and more spaces would open up which gave us the third goal.

“They got one back with 20 minutes or so to go, but we went and scored the fourth, and you think it's done.

"We should have scored a fifth or a sixth after that because we created two very clear opportunities. But we didn't and they got a second before seven minutes of injury time are signalled.

“But we defended and worked very hard throughout the game.

"We used the strengths in our own game, played our own way and came away with a very good win."

Wales duo Chris Gunter and Dave Edwards are now among the Reading FC players on international duty over the next fortnight.

Royals return to Championship action on November 18 when they travel to leaders Wolves.