Reading manager Noel Hunt called on his team to be more “ruthless” in the opposing penalty area after they suffered a 2-1 League One defeat at home to AFC Wimbledon.
Goals from Matty Stevens and Marcus Browne gave Wimbledon a deserved 2-0 lead and although Reading replied with a late long-distance thunderbolt from Lewis Wing, they slipped to their third-successive league defeat this season.
“I thought that we did enough to get something out of the game,” Hunt said. “I thought that we played the majority of the football in their half.
“And then we get punished with two shots on target and two goals.
“We can look at it again and re-analyse it from our point of view, but some of the decisions that we made should be easy to fix and will stop these things happening.
“It’s about both boxes, that’s where games are won and lost. We’ve got to make sure that we tidy up in our box and be ruthless in the opposition box.
“The link-up play is coming along but it’s still all about putting the ball in the back of the net.
“We just have to be more ruthless in front of goal and show more belief. When the opportunity arises, we’ve got to be willing to take a shot.”
Wimbledon, promoted as League Two play-off winners last season, have won two of their opening three games this campaign.
Dons manager Johnnie Jackson said: “I said to the lads that we’ve gone up a level and to win a game of football now takes even more.
“It was a game today that we were so comfy in – after we got a second goal and then looking like we’d get a third.
“And then Wing goes and does that, which he can do and it completely changes the complexion of the game.
“You then have to dig in but Reading had their moments when they’ll be thinking that they could have got something out of the game.
“You remember the last bit (closing stages) I suppose, but if you rewind the other 80 minutes, we were comfy and we’re worthy winners.
“In the end, though, we really had to work hard for it. That can happen in a game of football. Can you really legislate for somebody sticking it in the top corner from 30 yards?
“I suppose we can look at it and say that we should have got up to the ball, stuff like that.
“Those moments change the game and, on another day, they might score (again).
“But today, we were resolute. We know that we are a good defensive side and we know that we can see leads through.”
