Reading 2 (Bikey 31, 79)
Birmingham 1 (Zarate 64)

Two goals from Andre Bikey secured three vitals points for Reading at home to Birmingham City today.

The victory takes Reading five points clear of the relegation zone with seven games still to play.

It was an edgy affair, and while we were probably the better side, City gave us more than a few scares.

Gary McSheffrey had a glorious earlier chance for the visitors, only to drag his shot inches wide.

We then hit both post and bar before Bikey nodded home his first, getting a glancing header on John Oster's free kick.

Oster should have made it 2-0 after the break, only to shoot over from eight yards, and Birmingham capitalised on that miss when Mauro Zarate prodded home from close range.

City were in the ascendancy, and a desperate save from Marcus Hahnemann prevented Mikael Forssell from making it 2-1 after he broke the offside trap.

The introduction of Shane Long gave our attack a completely different look, and his sheer pace won a free kick that was taken by Nicky Shorey and headed home again by Bikey.

Sub Cameron Jerome's prodded effort was the closest City came to an equaliser, and we defended well in the closing stages, getting everyone behind the ball.

This result certainly does not secure our future, but it is a massive building block as we look to stay in this division.

With go into another home fixture next week with three wins out of the last four games, and with this amount of courage and determination, we can be confident about as we approach our remaining matches.

Reading: Hahnemann; Rosenior, Shorey, Bikey, Ingimarsson; Harper, Matejovsky (Cisse 81), Oster (Long 77), Hunt; Doyle, Kitson
Subs: Federici, Sonko, Kebe

Birmingham: Taylor; Kelly, Murphy, Jaidi, Ridgewell (c); Muamba, Nafti, Zarate, Larsson, McSheffrey (O'Connor 65); Forssell (Jerome 80)
Subs: Doyle, Parnaby, Johnson
Booked: Ridgewell (foul 79)

Attendance: 24,085

Ref: M Riley

First half
Reading started nice and bright, but it was the visitors who created a great early chance. Gary McSheffrey was given a clear sight of goal following Liam Rosenior's slip, but pulled just wide; a glorious chance gone.

On 13, an almighty scramble saw us both hit the post and have a penalty shout tuned down. A deep cross was turned back in by John Oster, and Dave Kitson was perhaps held off by Liam Ridgewell, but there was not much in it. As the ball broke four yards from goal, Kevin Doyle raced in, but mishit his effort, and as he battled with Ridgewell practically on line, it bounced away off the upright.

Moments later another low cross from the right, this time from the boot of Marek Matejovsky, almost created a chance for Stephen Hunt but a defender just got in front.

Reading were playing well, and we came even closer to a goal as Hunt crashed an effort off the bar. Matejovsky had found him well to allow him to break from his own half, and Hunt kept going himself, smashing a 25-yard drive that clipped the top of the bar on its way over.

Despite our dominance, we still allowed City chances, and Rahdi Jaidi could have done better but headed over from a corner to give us a clear warning.

We continued to look good in possession, and Matejovsky almost had a copy of his goal at Liverpool last week, but Maik Taylor saved his low drive from Oster's pass.

Finally, the goal came just after the half hour. Fabrice Muamba was punished for a high foot when challenging Hunt, even though the big Congolese won the ball. Oster took the free kick wide on the left, and Andre Bikey made a great run, glancing a header into the far post.

City nearly got back into a minute later though, when McSheffrey's mishit cross was tipped over by Marcus Hahnemann, then Mikael Forssell stabbed a foot wide from the resulting corner.

The remainder of the half saw Reading in the ascendancy, but never completely comfortable with just a one goal lead.

Second half
Reading should have put the game out of sight on 52, but Oster put a sitter over the bar from just eight yards after Kevin Doyle did well to pull it back to him. He ought to have buried it but couldn't find the target.

Oster claimed a penalty moments later as his cross seemed to hit David Murphy's arm, but nothing was given. It would probably have been harsh though.

We were made to pay for Oster's miss on 65 as City drew themselves level. A chipped ball down the left found Forssell, and he turned Ivar Ingimarsson inside the area. The Finn found the onrushing Mauro Zarate, who nipped it to prod home from close range.

The visitors then had a head of steam, and only a desperate save from Hahnemann prevented Forssell from putting the away side in front. We claimed offside, but the linesman was right to keep his flag down.

We needed to ride out the storm, but thankfully we managed to do even better than that and got ourselves back in front.

Substitute Shane Long was simply too quick for Liam Ridgewell, and won a foul out on the right wing. It was expertly taken by Nicky Shorey, and Bikey proved to be the hero once again, nodding home at the near post.

There seemed to be a very slight doubt as to whether Bikey or Jaidi got the last touch, but our defender's somersault celebration was all the proof Royals fans needed.

Two minutes later City sub Cameron Jerome nearly profitted as Bikey, Ingimarsson and Hahnemann all seemed to leave the ball for each other, but thankfully he nudged it wide.

Long's pace was again too much for City to handle down the other end, and Ridgewell was fortunate not to get a second yellow after catching him in the face with a high boot.

The young Irishman created a chance all of his own a moment later through sheer pace, and Taylor made  a desperate save at the near post.

City tried to throw men forward in the dying moments, but we got everyone behind the ball and held out for three massive points in our quest to stay in this division.

Reading were the more incisive team, but it was always close and one goal never quite felt enough. When Oster missed his chance early in the second half and City scored almost straight after, it felt as if the game was slipping away from us.

But thankfully, we defended well enough, and BIkey proved the unlikely hero with two goals. The performance was a little patchy, but in a six-pointer like this, it was never going to be free-flowing sexy football. The result was everything, and the points are ours.