Warnock, What's the Score?

When it rains, it pours. Kevin Doyle's hat trick was enough to hand the Royals the three points with a polished performance over a poor Palace side.

Doyle has notched just once in over 20 games before today, but he ended his dismal run with a match winning hat trick.

James Harper gave the Royals a deserved lead on 18 minutes. Great work from Liam Rosenior down the right-hand side allowed the full abck to put in a low cross, Stephen Hunt's effort was saved by Julian Speroni in the Palace goal, but captain Harper was on hand to turn it in.

Palace were then gifted a way back into the game, when Nick Carle's effort hit James Harper's hand from all of two yards and the woeful referee Clive Penton pointed to the spot. Carle stuck the penalty away to put the teams on level terms going into half time.

Reading again looked the better team in the second half and the game should have been over before Palace somehow took the lead when Tom Soares was left on his own to smash home from close range on 64 minutes.

Reading were not behind for long as just a minute later Kevin Doyle ended his horrendous goal scoring drought. Stephen Hunt's corner found it's way through to Doyle and he couldn't have missed from point blank range.

Reading were back in front two minutes later, this time Harper's corner was flicked on by Jimmy Kebe at the near post, before Speroni spilled the ball and Jem Karacan's cross found Doyle on the line who got his second and Reading's third.

Doyle finished the game on 89 minutes when another Stephen Hunt corner was superbly headed back across goal by Alex Pearce, for Doyle to head in from four yards out.

All in all a professional performance capped of a great game and Reading got a deserved three points to send Colin and co. home with nothing.

Kevin Doyle

Doyle has come under a lot of criticism recently, as has his manager for persistently playing him. But good things come to those who wait and Coppell's patience paid off with a hat trick for Doyle. It was a refreshing starting line-up from Steve Coppell today, with two products of the academy making their full league debuts. Jem Karacan played in midfield and showed the spirit and enthusiasm of a young Mick Gooding, while Alex Pearce filled in at centre-back with a calm and composed performance befitting of a future Royals captain.

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