Reading manager Nigel Adkins was delighted by the way his side stayed in the English Championship promotion race with a 3-1 win away to fellow contenders Queens Park Rangers.
The Royals won comfortably enough at the west London club's Loftus Road ground despite playing the final 18 minutes a man down after former QPR defender Kaspars Gorkss was sent off.
Danny Williams put Reading ahead early on and, after Kevin Doyle equalised against his old club to draw QPR level, two goals in as many minutes early in the second half secured victory for the Royals.
Alex Pearce made it 2-1 with a header from a corner before Garath McCleary's superb 25-yard strike ensured the visitors took all three points.
"It was a great goal - a fantastic goal to win any game," said Reading manager Adkins.
This was the Royals' fifth win in their last seven games an saw them close on the top five in the table.
"Credit to the players. We showed great character to see the game out after the sending off and defended very well," said Adkins.
"It's seven games on the spin now that we've been able to stick with the same team.
"We started the season well but were without players for spells and that was a challenge.
"We've got a really good formation about ourselves, great spirit among the players and can score goals - as we demonstrated."
He added: "We've got momentum with us, which is important, and everyone is working really hard for each other."
Meanwhile QPR assistant manager Kevin Bond was left to lament some poor defending after his side missed the chance to close the gap on second-placed Burnley, with only the top two sides at the end of the season guaranteed promotion to the lucrative Premier League.
"As you might expect we are hugely disappointed," he said.
"We've been very good defensively for most of the season and have now started shipping goals.
"Where we were dependable, we are no longer dependable. But it's about how we react now - there are still a lot of games to go."
QPR are third in the table, four points behind Burnley, with sixth-placed Reading now six points behind them.
"We need to group together now," Bond added. "We didn't get carried away when we were top of the league and doing okay. We've still got a good squad of players."
