Portsmouth 7 (Benjani 7, 37, 70, Hreidarsson 55, Kranjcar 75, Ingimarsson og 81, Muntari 89 (pen))
Reading 4 (Rosenior 44, Kitson 48, Long 79, Campbell og 90)
Reading were hit for seven in the highest scoring game in Premier League history at Portsmouth today.
Although a match full of incident, drama and goals, it was ultimately hugely disappointing for the Royals.
Pompey led by two Benjani goals with 37 minutes gone, and had more than enough chances to be further ahead, with Marcus Hahnemann producing one wondersave to deny Glen Johnson.
Liam Rosenior poached one just before the break, and then Dave Kitson capitalised on David James' error to score with a wonderful finish and give us a foothold against the run of play.
James Harper had a great chance to put us 3-2 up, but shot over, while Pompey wrongly had a goal disallowed for offside.
Harry Redknapp's men got their noses in front again though, Hermann Hreidarsson nodding home a cross that Hahnemann came for.
Nicky Shorey then saw a penalty saved by James, and the game raced away from us as Benjani completed his hat-trick after Brynjar Gunnarsson's error, then Niko Kranjcar made it 5-2.
Shane Long nicked one to take it to 5-3, but Sean Davis' drive, deflected off Ivar Ingimarsson, made it 6-3.
Sulley Muntari smacked home an injury time penalty to give Pompey a seventh, and Shorey saw one deflected off Sol Campbell to make it 7-4 with the final kick.
It was a quite remarkable game, but it will not be a memorable one for Steve Coppell's men.
After being outplayed, they twice got themselves into a position to take something from the match, only to see it run away completely as Portsmouth's forwards took full advantage.
Seven goals is a bitter pill to swallow, and we will regroup quickly in time for Derby next week.
Portsmouth: James; Johnson, Hreidarsson, Campbell (c), Distin; Davis, Diop, Muntari; Kranjcar, Utaka; Benjani (Nugent 77)
Subs: Ashdown, Pamarot, Taylor, Mendes
Booked: Taylor (dissent 65)
Reading: Hahnemann; Murty (c) (Long 76), Shorey, Duberry, Inigmarsson; Gunnarsson (Fae 76) , Harper, Rosenior, Hunt; Doyle, Kitson
Subs: Federici, Bikey, Lita
Booked: Duberry (foul 90)
Attendance: 20,102
First half
Portsmouth were quick out of the traps, and took the lead with just seven minutes on the clock.
John Utaka broke the offside trap down the left, and was clear. He looked to the back post, and found Benjani, who volleyed home from only a couple of yards.
Pompey continued to be on top, and Utaka blazed a good chance over on the half hour. Reading had plenty of defending to do as Portsmouth raged forwards.
Niko Kranjcar started one flowing move with a reaching pass from the left back position, and he almost finished it off himself but shot wide from 25 yards.
As half time approached, a second Pompey goal looked more and more likely, with Marcus Hahnemann getting down well to save Papa Bouba Diop's drive.
Then the inevitable arrived, and Portsmouth broke incisively, Benjani finishing with aplomb from outside the box.
It should have been 3-0 just before half time, with another break giving the home side a great chance. Benjani headed down for Glen Johnson, but Hahnemann pulled off a stunning reflex save.
From the resulting corner, Sean Davis shot only a couple of feet over with a 20-yard blockbuster.
Then, completely against the run of play, Reading drew level. A right wing cross found its way to Liam Rosenior, and his effort bounced down off the underside of the bar.
Play actually continued as Stephen Hunt made sure, but the goal was given to Rosenior for his first in Reading colours.
Second half
Reading had been very much second best, but within three minutes of the restart they were somehow level, and it was a great goal.
David James raced out of his area unneccesarily, and Kitson showed great ability to smash home a half volley from a tightening angle, some 30 yards out.
Portsmouth immediately came forward, and Ivar Ingimarsson only half cleared, but thankfully the shot was wide.
Then James Harper really ought to have put us 3-2 up, but shot over from 14 yards as a low cross was rolled into him.
Diop had a goal incorrectly disallowed for offside, and it had been an incredible sequence.
The Royals have been in the habit of conceding in the ten minutes after half time, and they were a mere five seconds away from breaking that trend.
Sadly, as Hahnemann came for a left wing cross, Hermann Hreidarsson got there first and flicked home with his head.
The drama was far from over, and we were given a penalty for handball against Diop.
At first Stephen Hunt wanted to take it, but Nicky Shorey was given the honour, only for James to produce a diving save to his left, and then the rebound was cleared.
After that great chance, Portsmouth soon had their fourth. Brynjar Gunnarsson was dispossessed rather easily, and a simple ball through the middle gave Benjani a clear run. Hahnemann rushed out, but the striker made it simple and went around him for his hat-trick.
The game had been even in the first 20 minutes since half time, but Portsmouth had rode out the storm and were now absolutely running riot.
A fifth came when a right wing cross found its way to Kranjcar, and despite the attention of Gunnarsson and Graeme Murty, he rose highest to nod home from a yard.
Then, Reading had a third with 12 minutes left. Harper hit a cracker from the edge of the box, and it was deflected by sub Shane Long on its way past James. Pompey screamed for offside, but the linesman correctly kept his flag down.
The scoring was not over, and Sean Davis saw his 25-yarder deflected off on its way past Hahnemann by Ingimarsson's head.
In injury time, Kranjcar won a penalty after a wonderful run. Sulley Muntari smashed home for 7-3.
There was then an eleventh goal as Shorey saw a 20-yarder deflected in off Sol Campbell.
Reading had been at sixes and sevens for huge periods, but with the missed penalty and Harper's great chance, we could have got something from the game.
That would have been incredibly harsh on Pompey, whose forwards were well on top, and Reading will be putting in plenty of work on the training ground this week.
