Match ends, Huddersfield Town 4, Reading 0.
HuddersfieldHuddersfield Town4ReadingReading0
Sorba Thomas inspired Huddersfield to a third straight Championship win as Reading's troubled start to the season continued.
The 22-year-old winger whipped in a cross for Lewis O'Brien to sidefoot the Terriers ahead and then sent an inswinging free-kick into the box for Matty Pearson to poke home the second.
Thomas capped a fine display with a solo run and low shot across Royals goalkeeper Rafael Cabral which found the bottom corner.
Reading's miserable afternoon was confirmed when Josh Koroma crossed for Danny Ward who rounded Cabral and tapped in a fourth.
The Royals were the Championship pacesetters at the start of last season, but boss Veljko Paunovic is enduring a much tougher second season in charge, with his side losing four of their opening five league matches and shipping 16 goals in the process.
They named new signing Alen Halilovic on the bench and gave striker Junior Hoilett a first start of the season, but offered little and almost fell behind when Norwich loanee Danel Sinani - on his first start for Town - smacked a free-kick against the post with Rafael well beaten.
And after falling behind to O'Brien's clinical finish shortly before half-time they collapsed completely after the break as Thomas ran riot.
Huddersfield's biggest win of the season moved them up to fourth, while Reading dropped to 21st after a third straight defeat.
Huddersfield head coach Carlos Corberan told BBC Radio Leeds:
"The team did a very serious game today with some very good moments in attack, some good moments in defence, and good moments in counter-attacks and set-pieces, too, for a very positive result.
"We knew today to get a third win in the league was tough because so far only two teams had done this.
"For us it was one target to try to achieve this number of wins in a row because it allows the team to develop the level of confidence, the level of performance, the level of attack.
"No we need to use this break to recover and to continue improving the team because we know how important this is to compete in the next games."
Reading boss Veljko Paunovic:
"I think it is a game to forget as soon as possible. We can't ignore how we feel but we have to use this defeat as a catalyst to bring back the spirit and the mojo we have lost so far.
"I also think we have to acknowledge the team is incomplete and has been for the whole of pre-season.
"We all should have done better today, especially in the second half. In the first half everyone did their best and we had urgency to defend.
"The second-half performance wasn't good and we all feel responsible about it. We need to use this hard feeling as a catalyst to fix things."
Line-ups
Huddersfield
Formation 3-4-3
- 21Nicholls
- 4PearsonBooked at 59mins
- 32LeesBooked at 81mins
- 26Samuels Colwill
- 16ThomasBooked at 31mins
- 6Hogg
- 8O'Brien
- 3Toffolo
- 24SinaniSubstituted forTurtonat 62'minutes
- 25WardSubstituted forCampbellat 69'minutes
- 10KoromaSubstituted forHolmesat 78'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Vallejo Mínguez
- 15High
- 19Holmes
- 20Turton
- 22Campbell
- 23Sarr
- 31Schofield
Reading
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 33Cabral Barbosa
- 3Holmes
- 4Morrison
- 6Moore
- 17YiadomBooked at 23mins
- 8Rinomhota
- 28Laurent
- 19Dele-BashiruBooked at 50minsSubstituted forHalilovicat 70'minutes
- 10SwiftSubstituted forTetekat 79'minutes
- 23Hoilett
- 47PuscasSubstituted forClarkeat 79'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Halilovic
- 16Tetek
- 22Southwood
- 38Stickland
- 39Clarke
- 41Bristow
- 42Sackey
- Referee:
- Leigh Doughty
- Attendance:
- 146,013
Match Stats
Home TeamHuddersfieldAway TeamReading
- Possession
- Home52%
- Away48%
- Shots
- Home16
- Away7
- Shots on Target
- Home8
- Away1
- Corners
- Home5
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Huddersfield Town 4, Reading 0.
Post update
Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Thomas Holmes.
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Offside, Huddersfield Town. Duane Holmes tries a through ball, but Oliver Turton is caught offside.
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Lewis O'Brien (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Liam Moore (Reading).
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Offside, Huddersfield Town. Oliver Turton tries a through ball, but Sorba Thomas is caught offside.
Booking
Tom Lees (Huddersfield Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Tom Lees (Huddersfield Town).
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Jahmari Clarke (Reading) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Attempt saved. Fraizer Campbell (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Duane Holmes.
Substitution
Substitution, Reading. Dejan Tetek replaces John Swift.
Substitution
Substitution, Reading. Jahmari Clarke replaces George Puscas.
Substitution
Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Duane Holmes replaces Josh Koroma.
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Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Andy Yiadom.
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Attempt blocked. Lewis O'Brien (Huddersfield Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Andy Yiadom.
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Attempt blocked. Josh Koroma (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sorba Thomas.
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Fraizer Campbell (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by John Swift (Reading).
Comments
Join the conversation
Yeah, maybe not.. 🤣
The hard work behind the scenes by the manager and his staff is beginning to pay dividends.
There are still plenty of rough diamonds in the non league, Huddersfield have found one or two.
Good to see Huddersfield getting going this season. Sorba Thomas has leapt from National League Boreham Wood to the Championship - well done to him and I hope Boreham Wood got paid a good fee for him.