Kevin Doyle's second successive hat-trick helped Reading to an emphatic 6-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
Doyle hat-tick inspires Reading
Kevin Doyle's second successive hat-trick helped Reading to an emphatic 6-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at the Madejski Stadium.
Doyle grabbed a treble against Crystal Palace at the weekend and he grabbed another three as Reading proved far too good for Wednesday.
The Irishman scored twice in the opening nine minutes and Andre Bikey made it 3-0 at the break.
The second period did not get any better for the visitors as Doyle scored again whilst Noel Hunt helped himelf to a brace.
It might have all been a different story had Etienne Esajas' low, driven free-kick whistled past the opposite side of the post instead of going narrowly wide in the fourth minute.
Doyle's first goal arrived immediately after following industrious work by Noel Hunt on the right-hand side. He crossed low into the six-yard box where Doyle arrived to sidefoot the ball past the helpless Lee Grant.
Wednesday had a chance to hit back straight away but after beating the offside trap, Jermaine Johnson had the ball snatched from his feet by Marcus Hahnemann as he attempted to round the American goalkeeper.
It would prove a costly miss as Doyle doubled Reading's advantage with the Royals' next attack. Doyle linked up with Jimmy Kebe on the edge of the area but as Kebe tried to return the ball to the Irishman a second time, it was intercepted by a Wednesday defender.
However, it ricocheted into Doyle's path and he struck a deflected shot into the roof of the net from 12 yards.
Reading continued to look threatening and inevitably scored a third goal to all-but put the game beyond the Yorkshire side.
Stephen Hunt's inswinging free-kick from midway inside the Wednesday half was directed back across goal by Bikey. Grant got a hand to the ball but could only help it into the far corner.
Hat-trick
Only a fine parrying save from Hahnemann to keep out Deon Burton's stinging low shot prevented the Reading-born forward from pulling a goal back for Wednesday just after the half-hour.
Noel Hunt scored his first goal of the night five minutes into the second half when he latched on to a long clearance and coolly slid the ball under the advancing Grant when one-on-one with the Wednesday goalkeeper.
Doyle completed his hat-trick in the 62nd minute with a crisp turn and shot into the bottom corner from just inside the area.
Reading were rampant and two minutes later Noel Hunt collected the ball on the edge of the box. His first touch took him inside the area and without breaking his stride he fired a low shot into the net to complete a miserable night for the Owls.
But it could have been even worse for Brian Laws' side as substitute Shane Long headed against the crossbar, and Grant produced a superb save to palm away Jem Karacan's header.
