Hunt admits Posh result was a ‘kick up the bum’

Reading striker Noel Hunt has admitted that their recent result at Peterborough brought the Royals back down to earth and to push them in the right direction.

The 28-year old scored the opening goal in the 3-1 defeat for the Royals but was helpless as the team we’re to soon lose their lead within 15 minutes. The defeat was the first for Reading in eleven games, which had seen the Royals go on a run that would make the whole Championship take notice.

Hunt told the official RFC site: ‘We’re still second, it’s exciting, this is a blip and we’ll try to erase it. Set pieces killed us, they were two sloppy goals and we know that. It’s not us. We’ll work on that, it’s not a major thing, we just need to tweak it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.’

‘We worked hard but it was difficult in the second half as they sat in with men behind the ball, there was no room in the box but we need to work around that. It doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win. I’m gutted for the manager, he’s been a revelation for this club since he came in and the boys want to do it for him.’

It is a certainty that Hunt will start against Blackpool at the weekend but will be unsure who his partner will be. Welsh striker Simon Church would be the likely choice for McDermott, but with the form of Adam Le Fondre coming off the bench and the signing of Benik Afobe, competition for the starting two is bound to be high.