George Drury’s late try ensured Rams took another step towards safety with a third successive National 2 South victory.
The scrum-half finished off a neat move down the left flank with four minutes remaining.
Rams’ second half performance was hailed by forwards coach Simon Henderson.
He said: “We played far better than in the first half when threw away chances and showed a lack of precision.”
“After half-time we produced some good forward play and I thought the two second-rows Jamie Guttridge and Tom Bryson had outstanding games.”
A Spike Chandler penalty nudged Rams ahead after only three minutes but this was soon cancelled out by Tom O’Toole.
Rams had the edge in the scrummaging department and after they had established a foothold on the Barnes line, Jamie Guttridge eventually forced his way over.
However that advantage lasted only five minutes as Barnes, with some superb mauling, drove over the Rams line for a five-pointer from Robert Malaney to which O’Toole added the extras for a 10-8 interval lead.
The Reading men were under intense pressure early in the second half and when they strayed offside O’Toole made no mistake with a simple kick.
Then suddenly they began to dominate. After a series of scrum infringements on the Barnes line referee Sharp awarded them a penalty try converted by Chandler to edge two points ahead.
Chandler added a second penalty and it was now a tense affair with Rams defending their lead tigerishly, with Steve Bryant to the fore, as Barnes backs attempted to create openings.
But it was the home side who had the last word when Rob Stapley broke from a scrum and three quick passes put Drury in.
Chandler’s eight points today takes his league record to 991. He hopes to become the first Rams player to achieve four figures when his side travel to bottom-of-the table Launceston next Saturday.
Richardson; Corrigan, Bryant, Barnes, McDermottroe; Chandler, Drury; Weller, Henderson, Ball, Bryson, Guttridge, Kharbouch, Vooght, Stapley. Reps: Knowles, Baker, Morrison, Nightingale, Foxley.