Reading 5 - 1 Ipswich : Orlando Sa hits hat-trick as Reading thrash Ipswich at the Madejski Stadium

Posted Saturday, September 12, 2015 by PA

A hat-trick from Orlando Sa helped Reading extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to seven matches with a comfortable 5-1 win over Ipswich in the Sky Bet Championship on Friday evening.

The Portuguese striker eased the Royals in front with a header early on, only for Freddie Sears to get Town back on level terms soon after.

A long-range effort from Sa quickly restored the hosts' lead, though, and they added to it in the second half with a goal from Nick Blackman, a third from Sa and a long-range effort from Oliver Norwood three minutes from time.

Reading had gone into the international break on the back of their first league win of the season, 3-1 at Brentford.

Ipswich were unbeaten and top of the table until they lost their last outing, 3-2 to Brighton at Portman Road.

Reading's main problems had come at the Madejski Stadium, where they had not previously won in seven league matches stretching back to March.

They had not scored in the past six of those, either, but that poor sequence was put right in only the eighth minute.

Blackman crossed invitingly from the right and Sa - a B£1million buy from Legia Warsaw in the summer - glanced in the most delicate of headers.

It was Reading's first home league goal in 634 minutes.

Ipswich were level within three minutes, though. Ryan Fraser forced an agile save from home goalkeeper Jonathan Bond, but Sears was on hand to tuck in his fourth goal of the campaign.

However, in the 14th minute, Reading regained their lead. Matej Vydra, making his debut on loan from Watford, released Sa.

The pacy forward cleverly found space for himself and drilled a 20-yard effort past the helpless Gerken in off the far post.

From then until half-time the teams proved evenly matched, with Ipswich just shading the honours in forward movement.

Ipswich left-back Jonas Knudsen drove narrowly wide and Sears blazed over as his angle diminished at Bond's near post.

Reading started the better in the second half and increased their advantage in the 49th minute.

Sa miskicked with the goal at his mercy but the Ipswich defence failed to clear the loose ball and Blackman lashed in his fifth goal of the term.

Ipswich still controlled much of the play but were persistently undone by Reading's quick breaks through Blackman, Vydra and Sa.

Brett Pitman almost pulled a goal back, nodding firmly against Bond's crossbar from a Fraser cross, but Reading stretched their lead further in the 63rd minute.

Blackman broke swiftly, jinked to the byline and crossed for Sa to easily guide the ball home to complete his treble.

Ipswich's challenge had all but ended and it well and truly did when Norwood sent a 30-yard screamer hurtling past Gerken in the 87th minute to complete a facile home victory.