Reading boss Brian McDermott insists their survival hopes are not over after defeat to Aston Villa.

While McDermott admitted his side were hurting after Saturday's defeat, when they had led through Nathan Baker's comical own goal, he refused to concede the stuffing had been knocked out of their survival bid.

"I don't feel that at all," he said. "Once March is out of the way - we play Manchester United away and Arsenal away - then we have seven games. We'll see where we are at the end of March and go from there.

"It won't be hard to pick ourselves up. You have a choice you either give up or you get back on and have a right go at it.

"That's what we've done. We'll pick ourselves up and move on quickly.

"It's not over until the middle of May."