Royals boss Veljko Paunovic remained upbeat after Reading's stalemate with Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.

In a game that was dominated by the two defensive units, both sides failed to create many clear-cut chances with just three shots on target being registered by the two sides in the game.

Despite this, Paunovic insisted that plenty of positives could be taken from the draw.

"It wasn't our best game. We changed our approach at half time and looked to play in more behind.

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"We did a good job in the second half of keeping them far from our goal and our box.

"That brought us opportunities from open play and set-pieces.

"Unfortunately, we didn't get a win but we keep our momentum going.

"It's another clean sheet and I believe there are no injuries so that is another positive.

"We'll look to improve because the team did show spirit, as always, good structure but we have to look to get better on the ball.

Paunovic also gave praise to the Potters after the full-time whistle. 

"We have to give credit to Stoke.

"They tried to look for a more direct approach but we did a good job.

"Maybe we didn't step up high enough on the field from our goal but they are a good side and we knew it was important to keep them far from our box.

"The fair result is the one we got.

"I think we could have benefited more from the opportunities we created and certain moments where we missed the final pass.

"Perhaps it was a bit too rushed and the players got a bit over-excited."

The result sees Reading climb above Watford into fourth spot, but Paunovic insisted that he would not be paying too much attention to the current league position.

"We remain disciplined and focused towards what we can control.

"We are aware of other results, but we look for our improvement and keep our minds on ourselves and our environment.

"We want to improve our position, but we can only control our performances and the preparation for the next game."