Reading 5-1 Town - Match Report Friday, 11th Sep 2015 22:19 Orlando Sa’s hat-trick saw Reading to a 5-1 victory over Town at the Madejski Stadium, the Blues’ heaviest defeat for nearly three years. Sa put the home side ahead in the seventh minute, Freddie Sears equalised soon afterwards before the Portuguese frontman made it 2-1 at the break. In the second half Nick Blackman made it 3-1 and Sa completed his hat-trick before Oliver Norwood lashed in a late fifth. Boss Mick McCarthy included Sears, David McGoldrick and Brett Pitman from the start with the former Colchester man wide on the right Central defender Christophe Berra returned to the Town line-up having missed the 3-2 defeat to Brighton two weeks ago with a hamstring problem. Daryl Murphy was on the bench after his calf injury, while there was no place in the 18 for new signing Tommy Oar. Jonny Parr was included in a matchday squad for the first time this season having suffered with a niggly thigh injury since pre-season. The home side began the game strongly and in the seventh minute they went in front. Jonas Knudsen’s under-hit clearance only reached Vydra who found Blackman. The former Sheffield United man whipped over a cross and Sa got in front of Tommy Smith to flick a header home. But four minutes later the Blues were back on terms. Pitman found Ryan Fraser inside the area and the Scotland U21 international twisted and turned before hitting a shot which Royals keeper Jonathan Bond palmed away but straight to the in-running Sears, who chested into the net. However, parity would only last for another three minutes, Sa hitting a low 20-yard strike beyond Dean Gerken’s right hand and into the net after a counter-attack to reclaim the lead. The Blues, wearing orange, started to see more of the ball as the game reached the 20-minute mark with McGoldrick increasingly influential, although the home side continued to look very dangerous when in the Town half. Following a Town corner, left-back Knudsen smashed a low shot not too far wide from 25 yards. Town went close again on 23 when Fraser threaded Sears in on the left of the area but having cut inside, the earlier goalscorer lashed over from close range when it seemed easier to hit the target. Three minutes later Fraser shot over from distance, then on 32 skipper Luke Chambers was booked for tripping Stephen Quinn, although it looked like an inadvertent tangle of legs. From the corner, Gerken turned the ball around the post but the linesman’s flag had been raised in any case, although no one had appeared to get a touch on the ball. On 36 Skuse was booked for a late challenge on Aaron Tshibola. In the 38th minute, after a Pitman dummy on the edge of the area had just failed to come off, Reading again broke quickly but Berra stepped across to intercept Sa’s final pass to Vydra which would have seen the on-loan Watford man in on goal. Moments later, Fraser became the third Town player to get his name in the book for a foul on Norwood. The Blues could have got on terms in the 44th minute after McGoldrick headed Fraser’s left-sided corner wide when under the attention of Blackman. The striker will feel he probably should have hit the target, while one or two Town players claimed that he had been pulled back by Blackman but referee Roger East wasn’t interested. Neither side threatened again before the end of a thoroughly entertaining first half. After the three early goals the Blues saw a lot of the ball, passing it around slickly at times, with McGoldrick, Fraser and Sears all looking dangerous. Town had had chances to get back on terms, while Reading always looked a threat on the break. The Blues created the first opportunity of the second half in the 48th minute, McGoldrick chesting down a long ball to Pitman, who powerfully shot wide from inside the area when he clearly felt he should have done better. But two minutes later it was 3-1 to the Royals. Blackman cut back from the left to Sa, but the ball hit the striker and fell to Skuse, who looked for Gerken to come and claim. But the keeper didn’t react and the Blues midfielder was forced to clear and hooked straight back to Blackman, who took a touch before smashing an unstoppable shot past Gerken and into the roof of the net. Vydra curled a shot well over, then on 61 Pitman came within a couple of inches of making it 3-2. Fraser clipped over a cross from the left and the striker’s looping header rebounded off the bar. McGoldrick subsequently required treatment after being caught by an arm as Reading cleared the loose ball. Two minutes later, Reading made it four. Blackman beat Berra on the Royals right and cut the ball across to Sa, who completed his hat-trick from close range. With the game almost certainly lost, Pitman and Fraser - perhaps with an eye towards Tuesday’s game at Leeds - were swapped for Daryl Murphy and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Reading switched Lucas Piazon for Vydra and Ola John for the very impressive Blackman - both subs making their debut - as the game moved into its final 15 minutes with no dramatic Town comeback looking likely. On 81 Maitland-Niles miscued wide from a tight angle beyond the far post after Murphy had found him with a cross from the left of the area. But a Reading fifth had looked more likely than a Town comeback and in the 87th minute Oliver Norwood unleashed a 35-yard rocket which flew into the top corner leaving Gerken standing. It could have been even worse for the Blues with Tshibola curling a shot not too far wide and moments before the whistle Knudsen was cautioned for pulling back sub John. At the break Town’s biggest defeat since the 6-0 November 2012 loss at Leicester hardly seemed on the cards but once another defensive error had allowed Blackman to score his goal - in addition to his three assists - to make it 3-1 there was never any way back for the Blues. The fourth was more poor defending - Berra perhaps feeling the effects of his recent injury - while the fifth stunning strike was the icing on the cake for Reading fans who went home very happy having seen their side win their first game at the Madejski Stadium since March 10th and score their first home league goals since April 4th. For Town, the number of poor goals being conceded is a continuing concern with the Blues now having kept only one clean sheet in 17. The second successive defeat sees the Blues fall to fourth on goal difference with a further drop certain after tomorrow’s games, Reading: Bond, Gunter, Obita, Ferdinand, McShane, Norwood, Quinn, Tshibola, Blackman (John 78), Sa (Robson-Kanu 82), Vydra (Piazon 77). Unused: Al-Habsi, Hector, McCleary, Williams. Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Douglas, Fraser (Maitland-Niles 67), Sears, McGoldrick, Pitman (Murphy 67). Unused: Bialkowski, Malarczyk, Parr, Coke, Touré. Att: 16,809 (Town: 1,602).
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