Reading manager Brian McDermott is keeping his feet firmly on the ground following their 4-2 win over promotion rivals West Ham.
Royals boss calm, Allardyce critical of performance
Reading manager Brian McDermott is keeping his feet firmly on the ground following their 4-2 win over promotion rivals West Ham.
The Hammers started well with Carlton Cole opening the scoring, but goals just before half time from Kaspars Gorkss and Noel Hunt give the visitors a lead at the interval.
Ian Harte's penalty extended the Royals' advantage, although Ricardo Vaz Te gave the home side hope of a comeback before Mikele Leigertwood settled the game once and for all.
The success moved the Royals four points clear of the east Londoners, but McDermott is taking nothing for granted with six Championship games remaining.
Calm
"It's three points, that's all it is," he said.
"It's never easy to go 1-0 down here but we stayed in the game, got ourselves a goal and to go in 2-1 up was massive.
"Then in the second half I felt we deserved to win. But I've been around this game a long time so I'm not cock-a-hoop yet."
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce felt the home side were their own worst enemy at times and did little to aid their own cause.
"We shot ourselves in the foot," commented Allardyce.
Simple
"The corner we should have done better with, and then instead of clearing a simple ball we've kicked it straight to their man. That was a crushing blow.
"Then, instead of waiting to play our way back into the game, we shot ourselves in the foot again by giving away a stupid penalty.
"We gifted them three goals. We can't afford to make those errors and that's ultimately why we got beaten."
Allardyce believes only six wins from six will be good enough to secure a top two finish, adding: "There are no more opportunities for us to take a point anymore.
"To keep up with Reading we have to win six on the trot."
