SO there is fight in the old Royals yet.

For too long Reading's hunger and desire for a relegation scrap has come into question.

To what level these handsomely paid players were up for a survival battle is what most fans were asking.

Until recently, the answer appeared to be pretty much none. Zilch. Zero.

Royals were lurching from one defeat to another, players were shot of confidence and performances dire.

Reading had, simply, become one of the biggest pushovers in the division and looked to be heading for the drop.

Then Jose Gomes arrived in place of Paul Clement.

Time was not on his side ahead of the crammed festive schedule. There was little opportunity to take training, to begin implementing his ideas.

There was no magic wand, and no immediate upturn in results.

But, as supporters would testify, there was an improvement on the pitch. A newfound optimism, a new way of playing, a new beginning.

Then, after Gomes’ first full week of training the team, we finally saw what this Reading squad is capable of on Saturday.

Yes, Nottingham Forest ended the game with nine men. Yes, the shock departure of manager Aitor Karanca 48 hours before kick-off must have had an impact on dressing room morale.

But this was still a quality Forest side who had beaten Leeds United last time out and could and perhaps should have been more than 1-0 down by the time Danny Fox received the first of two red cards for the visitors on the day.

It was a feisty affair, one which Reading may have been bullied out of in the past.

This time, Royals stood up to everything Forest could throw at them and came out the other end with a crucial but richly deserved ‘W’.

Forest picked up five yellow cards and two reds as their frustrations boiled over on the pitch.

Referee Oliver Langford booked three Royals – Omar Richards, Andy Yiadom and Liam Moore, the latter two for their part in the melee that led to Fox’s second yellow and subsequent dismissal.

The incident was further proof that the bond between the Reading players is strengthening by the week under Gomes.

All fighting for each other, everyone watching their team-mate’s back.

The Portuguese spoke of ‘togetherness,’ a Royals ‘family,’ of ‘galvanising the club’ and his ‘brave’ and ‘fantastic’ players, who must have trotted home feeling top of the world for a change.

It was front-foot football. They were in Forest’s faces. Jon Dadi Bodvarrson set the tempo with his endless running up front.

The increasingly brilliant Andy Rinomhota bossed the midfield alongside new loan signing Ovie Ejaria, while John Swift provided the silky touches and all-important first goal.

But there were stand-out moments throughout the game, and Yiadom’s sensational goal-saving tackle on Daryl Murphy when the score was 0-0 signalled Reading’s intent from the off.

This is, of course, only one victory. I am not suggesting Royals have completely turned the corner – it is too early for that.

And Reading must produce the same level of performance from here on if they to banish any relegation worries for good.

What we can be certain of is Royals have the bit between their teeth again, a gnarly edge, a refusal to be out-worked or out-run by any opposition.

They did it at Manchester United, and they did it against Nottingham Forest.

They also have supporters back onside after months in the doldrums – and that as much as anything will put a huge smile on Gomes’ face.