Battle Royal

Stan Cullis was a firm believer in fair play.

Gentlemanly conduct is one thing, but giving your oppenents a one goal lead after a minute is taking things too far.

Particularly when it ends up being the decisive strike in a top of the table clash.

Tuesday nights defeat at The Madjeski hurt.

Not because it saw Reading close the gap at the top to two meagre points, because for long periods of the match Wolves were the better team.

But once again, having failed to take their chances, we now find the once huge lead whittled down, now standing at next to nothing.

But it's not all doom and gloom, nor should it be.

There are two home games coming up, and a lead is still a lead, no matter how sleek or slender.

There is still time to strengthen with new signings, and there is room for much improvement, which when you're top of the table can't be an entirely bad thing.

Our fate is still in our hands, but we desperately need to find the kind of performances that typified the start of the campaign, and ditch the indecisions that have been a trait of this middle third.

It's time to sharpen the claws again and get back to doing what this team has shown it is capable of.

Starting with a win against Watford.

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