Dion Charles’ first home hat-trick inspired wonderful Wanderers to a priceless three points as they triumphed in a seven-goal thriller, writes Pete Oliver.
Ian Evatt’s men ended their League One goal drought at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in style as Charles’ first-half treble – including two penalties – a superbly struck Josh Sheehan free-kick and Kyle Dempsey’s late header secured a first home win of the campaign.
It was Charles’ second hat-trick in a Wanderers’ shirt and was perfectly timed as the Whites gave the ideal response to their 4-0 beating by Huddersfield Town a week ago to ease the pressure avoid three successive home defeats.
Reading didn’t make it all plain-sailing as they twice trimmed the deficit to two goals but the spirit, determination and flair shown by Wanderers after such a difficult start to the season was exactly what was required to potentially kick-start their campaign.
Wanderers made just the sort of start they needed as the re-called Victor Adeboyejo set the tone from the off by charging down an attempted clearance and forcing Reading onto the retreat in the first few seconds.
And in a superb opening spell there was no respite for the Royals as the Whites tore into tackles and peppered the visitors’ penalty area.
After taking over the armband George Thomason nearly made the dream start to his reign as captain as he looked to get on the end of a Josh Dacres-Cogley cross and with just over 10 minutes gone the pressure paid off with the opening goal.
The excellent Adeboyejo saw a header blocked on the line and David Button made a brilliant save to deny Szabi Schön but the Reading keeper was then powerless to keep out a peach of a free-kick from Sheehan after Wanderers had been awarded a free-kick just outside the penalty area.
Evatt had reverted to a tried and tested formula for the Whites with Sheehan and Johnston also returning to starting duty and with the crowd right behind them Wanderers were back to their best in a 3-1-4-2 formation as they quickly went 2-0 up.
The Reading defence was at full stretch again and when Thomason slipped a pass through to Charles he was fouled by Amadou Mbengue before blasting the ball into the roof of the net from the resulting penalty to claim his third goal of the season.
Reading had few answers, although on-loan winger Chem Campbell wasted a great chance to half the deficit at the end of a dazzling run with just over half an hour gone.
And that proved pivotal moments later as Wanderers pounced to add a third and seemingly put themselves out of sight.
Again, the Whites broke dangerously down their right flank – this time through Eoin Toal and Dacres-Cogley – and when the latter fed the ball inside the Charles, he did the rest with a clever side-step and cool finish through the legs of Button.
It could barely have gone better for Evatt’s men, although Reading did pull a goal back three minutes before the break when Ben Elliott stretched to poke the ball home.
Had Nathan Baxter then not made an unbelievable save to turn a header from Mbengue up and over the bar in stoppage time it could have set the nerves jangling but instead Wanderers restored their three-goal lead before the end of a remarkable first half when Charles completed his hat-trick after Adeboyejo had been fouled.
That was far from the end of the drama, though, as Reading came out with nothing to lose at the start of the second half and quickly reduced the arrears from another penalty.
This time Ricardo Almeida Santos conceded it with a clip on the heels of Sam Smith who picked himself up to beat Baxter and make it 4-2 with over half an hour to go.
Wanderers replied with Thomason firing just wide from a number of dangerous counter-attacks but Reading hadn’t given up the fight as Kevin Ehibhatiomhan curled a shot against the crossbar.
It was end-to-end stuff and Evatt understandably needed to send for fresh legs as those departing – and Adeboyejo in particular – left to standing ovations.
Johnston was another to make the most of his return with a lion-hearted display and Wanderers guaranteed a superb victory to lift the spirits ahead of a mid-week Carabao Cup trip to Arsenal when substitute Dempsey headed home a Randell Williams corner with four minutes to go to repeat the margin of victory over the Royals on Easter Monday.
The Whites could even have eclipsed the five goals they scored that day as Aaron Collins was denied by Button and Dempsey crashed a shot against the underside of the bar in the dying minutes but Evatt's side had done everything asked of them to restore the faith and lay the foundation to try and start to climb up the table.
Wanderers: Baxter; Toal, Almeida Santos, Johnston; Sheehan (Dempsey 72); Dacres-Cogley, Matete (Arfield 63), Thomason, Schön (Williams 72); Adeboyejo (Collins 78), Charles (McAtee 78). Substitutes: Southwood, Forino.
Booked: Almeida Santos, Baxter, Arfield, Williams.
Reading: Button: Craig, Mbengue, Bindon, Dorsett (Abrefa 40); Wing; Elliott, Knibbs; Campbell, Smith, Ehibhatiomhan (Akande 72). Substitutes: Boyce-Clarke, Dean, Savage, Wareham, Garcia, Akande.
Booked: Wing, Knibbs.
Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge.
Attendance: 19,635 (585 Reading)