Brian McDermott: "As A Group, They've Done Us Proud"

Brian McDermott would have gone home a reasonably happy man yesterday after we claimed a good point against in form Sheffield Wednesday.

We were on top pretty much throughout the game, but the visitors started the better and took the lead on 10 minutes when Gary Hooper scored. After that the Royals dominated but it took until the 74th minute for Jake Cooper to score the equaliser from a corner - yes you read right a corner to secure a good point for the Royals. Although Matej Vydra missed a penalty in the first half, but we won't dwell on that.

McDermott told the official club website, "We should have won. We're giving teams a goal start at the moment which is not good and we need to work on that. But, having said that, for the last 70 minutes we were in the ascendancy, we were the better team against the form team in the league and a club who have spent a fortune.

"We weren't quite tough enough in the first half and they got the goal, they sat behind the ball, and we had to break them down. Players miss penalties now and again, that's life. But we kept going, showed good quality, good resolve to get back into it. And Yann gave us another dimension in the second half as we tried to do what it takes to win.

"It was great that Coops has scored from a corner, something we haven't done enough recently, so I'm delighted with that. And we've had a little chance right at the end which could have made it 2-1, so there's a slight tinge of disappointment that we haven't won the game.

"We've come from behind to win 5-2 the other night, we've come from behind today to draw, we've come from behind at Derby, so I've got no concerns about this team's ability to come from behind. The most important thing is that we don't go behind in the first place.

"But the boys have shown a real courage today to come from behind again and to get something against a good side. They showed resilience, resolve and desire. It's a team game and, as a group, they've done us proud today.

"I thought we were going to go on to win it and they'll be delighted they've got a point. Our fans really got behind the team, right to the end and we can be proud of our performance. We should have won, but we'll take the point."

Next weekend it is FA Cup fourth round time with Walsall the visitors to the Madejski Stadium and McDermott is looking forward to a full weeks of preparations, he added: "It's good that we can have a bit of time to do some good work as a group this week.

"We've got a couple of games planned that some of the lads might play in, but I'm looking forward to getting a full week in ahead of the cup game against Walsall next weekend."