McDermott praise for Reading resolve

Reading boss Brian McDermott was full of praise for his players after they produced a shock FA Cup 1-0 away win at Everton on Tuesday.

Just 10 days after defeating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to progress to the fifth round, Everton were surprised by the Championship outfit who won thanks to defender Matthew Mills’ 26th minute strike.

The win sees Reading reach the quarter-finals of the famous competition for the second successive season and McDermott was delighted afterwards.

“(We had) great shape, great discipline, passed the ball well with real quality and toward the end of the game we needed to keep it and we did that,” McDermott said.

“The work rate of the team tonight was phenomenal and everybody did their job. We had a game plan coming here and I thought we followed it out.”

“It puts us in the next round of the FA Cup and before last season it was 80 odd years before the last time we were in the quarter-finals but we have done it again this season. It’s an absolute credit to the players.”

The task for Reading will not get any easier, with the Royals to meet the winner of Manchester City and Aston Villa’s fifth round clash at the City of Manchester Stadium on Wednesday.

McDermott is not fussed which side his team plays, with Villa the side responsible for knocking them out of the FA Cup last season.

“No not really,” he said when asked if he had a preference on Reading’s next opponents.

“Last year we played Villa and we were 2-0 up at half-time and looking like we had a good chance of getting into the semi-finals and I said to the players ‘if you can keep it tight at half time’ (we can progress).”

“I remember the scoreboard at 2-0 as I came out and then 15 minutes later we’re 3-2 down, that was an amazing game really but no I don’t have a preference, whoever goes through.”

McDermott’s counterpart, David Moyes, admitted his side deserved to lose and said the club’s supporters had every right to be disappointed with the club’s exit from the competition.

“We had a great opportunity with getting a home tie after doing so well in the last round,” Moyes said.

“I think we just didn’t play well enough to win the game.”

“This was a competition they had high hopes for after we beat Chelsea so I totally understand (the fans concerns).”