A second-half strike from Shane Long - with new assistant Republic of Ireland manager Liam Brady watching in the stands - and a late goal from substitute Dave Kitson proved enough for a second successive win for the Royals.

However, despite now climbing up to 13th place after a result which puts daylight between Reading and the drop zone, Coppell maintains there is still plenty of hard work ahead.

"We have to accumulate a certain number of points, and we cannot relax in any way," declared the Royals manager.

"We are all on a mission to ensure we are playing in this division again next season.

"It is congested down there.

"One week you can be out of the firing line, but we have to string a number of results together to make sure people are not looking at us under the microscope."

Coppell added: "It is accepted that 40 points is a significant number and I maintain we are capable of getting that, so that is my target."

The Reading boss was quick to praise the efforts of his front men.

"The example of Kevin Doyle and Shaun Long in terms of massive desire and effort, combined with a great deal of skill, to create the first goal made life a lot easier for us," Coppell said.

"However, for City to lose Richard Dunne was significant, because he is a fine player and a good leader.

"That played to our advantage, but we still had to make use of that advantage."

While Reading now have their fate back in their own hands as they look to retain a place among the elite of English football, City's campaign looks in danger of fizzling out.

With their Manchester rivals United crashing out of the FA Cup to Portsmouth this afternoon, it now seems certain only a fifth-place finish would guarantee City European football next season.

However, with now just one win from the last eight - ironically at Old Trafford - those dreams have been left hanging by the balance and could yet see Sven-Goran Eriksson enter his men into the InterToto Cup during the summer.

To further add to their concerns, skipper Dunne looks set for a spell on the sidelines after he was carried off on a stretcher during the first half and needed stitches to a leg injury.

When the game was still goalless, the visitors also had a strong penalty shout turned down by referee Uriah Rennie, who booked Michael Johnson for what he saw as a dive when it appeared the City midfielder had been tripped by Ivar Ingimarsson.

Eriksson lamented: "We got a yellow card, and I thought it should have been a penalty, maybe we should have got two.

"In the first half, we created some chances, but did not take them - when things are difficult, sometimes it can go like that."

He added: "Today it is very difficult to be a referee, because you have the answer 10 or 15 seconds after it has happened, with all the video guys we have sitting close to the bench.

"But it is very easy when we can look at the replay. It would be good if the referee could do it as well."

Eriksson is concerned City - already without Micah Richards - could be left short at the back with Dunne's injury, which may keep him out for up to two weeks.

He said: "For the last 10 minutes, you could see that Michael Ball was not okay either, you could see that for the second goal.

"But we do not have any more defenders, so we have to carry on."

The Swede, however, remains positive City can end the season on a high.

He said: "It is a difficult and frustrating time because we have taken only one point and conceded easy goals which at the first half of the season Manchester City would never have done.

"It is up to us to make it right and start to win, because otherwise there is no meaning talking about Europe.

"As long as it is still a mathematical possibility, we have to believe it and fight for it."