Reading manager Ruben Selles felt rewarded for his team going ‘all in’ at Exeter and picking up their first away win of the season.
Jayden Wareham put the Royals ahead inside the opening minute after some woeful Exeter defending and Michael Craig then lashed in a second before half-time.
A resurgent Exeter were left with too much to do in a dominant second half, with Ilmari Niskanen reducing the deficit just before the hour.
“We came here today frustrated with our performance and we spoke about that coming here with a negative attitude would be a mistake,” Selles said.
“So we decided to come front footed and apply pressure from the very beginning and I think we completely dominated the first half.
“We felt that by being more vertical and more aggressive, we would get something. We went all in with that idea and it has worked for us.
“We were 2-0 up and had other situations, maybe we could have closed out the game in that first half.
“Then they came alive in the second half, they have a good coach, good players and a good system and when they scored the goal, we felt under pressure.
“The substitutions we made gave us the legs to finish the game and when you come here to Exeter, you are not going to get the points easily.
“So we suffered at the end, but the team showed character, togetherness and competitiveness and I am very happy.”
Exeter manager Gary Caldwell was left to rue a Jekyll and Hyde performance from his side, who looked a completely different team in the second half.
“I have been talking about it for weeks now that we have been getting away with things and it hasn’t been good enough,” Caldwell said.
“We have been sloppy in possession and Reading are an excellent team and were able to capitalise on that in the first half.
“The second half, the team were outstanding and that is as good as we have played all season.
“We passed through them, we created chance after chance, we hit the post and I thought we deserved something from that second half which, as I say, was as good as we have played for weeks.”
Caldwell added: “We changed our shape after half an hour and I thought that made us better.
“The reaction was very good, but the second goal was a killer really. But like I say, we have carried that luck for weeks.
“All the finishers came on and contributed to the second half and we were sensational, but we have to continue that level of performance and take that into Huddersfield on Saturday.”
