Royals hit nine to sink Didcot
Didcot Town 0
Reading 9 (Robson-Kanu 11, Lita 18, Doyle 21, Kitson 46, Long 57, Convey 63, Sigurdsson 74, Holloway 78, Church 83)
Subs: Powell, Hopkins, Bruce, Conmammon, MacInnerny, Howarth
Reading: Hahnemann, Rosenior, Shorey, Sodje, Inigmarsson, Pearce, Karacan, Henry, Robson-Kanu, Lita, Doyle
Second half team: Federici, Murty, Kelly, Duberry, Bennett, Sigurdsson (Holloway 74, Church 78), Harper, Kebe, Convey (Holloway 79), Kitson, Long
The Royals made a free-scoring start to their friendly campaign by firing nine unanswered goals past Didcot.
Nine different players got their names onto the scoresheet, including all four strikers and fan Simon Holloway, who was playing after winning a Royal Families charity auction!
Steve Coppell fielded two entirely different teams in each half and it was a most satisfactory afternoon for the Royals, who wore their new orange away kit for the first time.
Hal Robson-Kanu opened the floodgates from 20 yards and Kevin Doyle and Leroy Lita netted before half-time.
The scoring accelerated in the second period as Dave Kitson stroked home within seconds of the restart, before Shane Long and Bobby Convey made it six.
Youngster Gylfi Sigurdsson crashed home a seventh before Holloway's deflected effort and Simon Church's low effort completed the scoring.
Full report
Alex Pearce, playing in an unfamiliar central midfield role, nearly opened the scoring in the second minute when Kevin Doyle crossed precisely from the right, but keeper Michael Watkins saved well from Pearce's close range header.
Leroy Lita then had a strong penalty appeal waved away after a clumsy challenge by Martin Brown as the Royals predictably enjoyed the lion's share of possession.
Liam Rosenior worked a nice exchange of passes with Lita to create a shooting chance on the edge of the area, but the right back directed his left footed effort wide of the left hand post.
Didcot created their first chance after eight minutes when full back Matthew Bicknell crossed dangerously for ex-Reading striker Neville Roach to head narrowly over the bar from ten yards.
The much-threatened opener came after 12 minutes when central midfielder Jem Karacan fed Hal Robson-Kanu, who had drifted in from the left wing, and the youngster curled an excellent left-footed shot into the left corner from 20 yards.
Didcot enjoyed a spell of pressure and after 16 minutes Marcus Hahnemann had his left upright rattled by Bradley Ward's curling free-kick from 25 yards, but the Royals were soon back in the ascendency.
On 18 minutes Lita made it 2-0 after neatly exchanging passes with Doyle in midfield to create a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper, and Lita made no mistake with a crisp right-footed finish into the left corner.
Lita's strike partner Doyle was next on target, flinging himself to meet Rosenior's right wing cross with a close range diving header as the first half approached its midway point.
Karacan was then unlucky not to score when he had three shots in the space of five seconds - two saved by the keeper and one blocked by a defender - after being released through the middle by Lita.
After 33 minutes Hahnemann was forced into his first real save to collect a low shot from Roach, and play immediately switched to the other end with James Henry's overhit cross hitting the crossbar, before Sam Sodje had a close range effort disallowed for offside.
That was the last meaningful action of the half, with the Royals having enjoyed a profitable work out.
Second half
Steve Coppell stuck to his pre-match promise to field a completely different side in the second half, including youngsters Julian Kelly and Gylfi Sigurdsson alongside more senior pros.
Dave Kitson wasted no time in scoring the game's fourth goal - less than a minute into the second period he received Shane Long's chest-down to cut infield from the left and curl a well placed right footed shot into the far corner.
After 52 minutes Graeme Murty created a chance for Jimmy Kebe with a delightful piece of skill on the right wing, but the Mali international dragged his shot wide.
Long added the fifth on 57 minutes, beating the offside trap to receive Kitson's pass and roll a comfortable finish inside the left-hand post.
Before long Bobby Convey made it six with a curling free-kick into the right hand corner from 25 yards after Long's run had been ended by a foul.
Convey then turned provider, lifting a well-weighted throughball over the defence and into the path of Sigurdsson, who crashed home an unstoppable volley from 15 yards.
Sigurdsson then made way for Simon Holloway, a Royals supporter who won a recent Royal Families auction to take his place in the squad.
And Holloway made an immediate impact by scoring the eighth goal - although he didn't know too much about it as Long's close-range effort deflected off an unidentified part of his upper body before flying in, to much popular acclaim from the sidelines!
Inside the final ten minutes Adam Federici made a rare save, clinging on well to Bicknell's long-range free-kick, and home keeper Watkins then made an excellent flying save from Kelly's spectacular 25-yard strike.
The ninth goal was added by substitute Simon Church, who was sent clear of the defence by James Harper's slide-rule through ball to calmly slot home from close range.
Federici made sure of his clean sheet with a spectacular save from substitute Hopkins, and Long and Church came close to taking the score into double figures before the final whistle signalled a 9-0 final score.
Video highlights will be on Reading World next week.
