Red-hot side are praised by Coppell for keeping cool

Reading manager Steve Coppell hailed his side after they started 'a big month' with a 3-1 Championship win over Coventry.

Wing-back Daniel Fox gave Coventry a deserved early lead with a terrific free-kick but the hosts hit back with a brace from Noel Hunt and a Kalifa Cisse strike.

Reading are now just four points behind second-placed Birmingham and Coppell believes the remaining six fixtures in December could shape their promotion push.

"It's a big month for all the teams now," he said. "It's easy to take your eye off the ball with all the distractions around but it's a significant period and let's see where we are at the end of it."

Reading came from behind to win for the first time this season and Coppell was glad his side didn't panic.

The boss said: "It was a tremendous free-kick, which opened the scoring.

"As soon as we have gone a goal down previously we have got really frantic and very anxious in the way we played. But we kept on trying to do what we set out to do this evening and stayed calm."