JAAP Stam insists Reading FC will keep fighting to the end in the Championship promotion race following tonight's 3-2 comeback against Brentford.

Royals were on the verge of suffering only their third home loss of the season when Jota and Lasse Vibe gave Bees a 2-1 lead after John Swift had opened the scoring.

But Stam's men refused to accept defeat and equalised through Danny Williams before Roy Beerens struck an 81st minute winner.

Stam declared: "It says a lot about the character and spirit of the team. We've shown that before like at Bristol City for instance when we were 2-0 down but won 3-2.

"The players have a lot of belief in what they can achieve. We will keep on going and we'll never give up.

"There is never an easy game in the Championship, but we're willing to work very hard for every result."

Reading were outstanding for the opening quarter, but after going in front through Swift's eighth of the season in the 22nd minute, they appeared to ease off.

Bees took full advantage with Jota levelling on 63 minutes before Vibe put the visitors 2-1 up three minutes later.

But Royals somehow regrouped and Williams made it 2-2 in the 77th minute allowing Beerens to seal the comeback four minutes later.

Stam added: "It was a very exciting game, a lot happened.

"We started very well, we were very aggressive going forward. But after we went in front we gave Brentford too much time.

"They have quality players. I wouldn't say they controlled the game but they were a threat.

"We went in 1-0 up at half time and talked about what we could improve. We needed to switch play a bit more.

"But Brentford got more into the game in the second half, they are a very fit team who keep on going and they scored two quick goals.

"After that you wonder how your team will respond.

"But we've been behind before, we knew the spirit in the team was very good.

"We made a couple of substitutions which paid off and we scored two more goals in a short period.

"We tried for a fourth goal to make it more comfortable but they almost scored an equaliser. We had to defend deep, but we got the three points."

Bees boss Dean Smith suggested Reading's second goal came from a Chris Gunter throw-in taken from the wrong place and that their third goal sould have been offside.

But Stam added: "Sometimes you need a bit of luck, and we were lucky when Brentford missed their chances.

"But that's football. We've had games where we should have finished with more than what we got, but that's how it is.

"Saying that, I must compliment Brentford who are won of the best footballing teams in the league."

And once again, Stam claimed the threadbare Madejski Stadium pitch continues to cause problems.

"The pitch didn't help," he stated, "We can't do anything about it, we need to wait until the end of the season.

"We've spoken about it before and I don't want to go on about it too much, but it doesn't help us in terms of how we want to play.

"The same applies to Brentford. If you have teams who want to play a passing game it makes it very hard.

"It is what it is, we need to deal with it and perhaps find a different way to create chances.

"The players need to learn when they can play it from the back and when they can't."