Reading 5 (Lita 45, 54, 73, 76, Long 71)
Derby County 0

Leroy Lita smashed four goals as an outstanding Royals reserves team gained an emphatic victory over Derby County at Aldershot on Wednesday night.

The Royals were far the better team from the opening whistle and went close through Oliver Bozanic and Lita before opening the scoring on the stroke of half time.

It was an excellent goal as Shane Long's brilliant backheel sent the onrushing Liam Rosenior into the penalty area, and the right back's perfect low cross allowed Lita to sidefoot home from close range.

Lita netted again early in the second period, racing onto Bozanic's through ball to fire a decisive low shot into the near post from 12 yards.

Derby rarely threatened and the Royals netted three goals in the space of five minutes midway through the period to give the scoreline a deservedly wide margin.

Long added a fine solo effort before Lita's hat-trick came with a fierce strike from 20 yards, and the goal hungry striker added his fourth by reacting quickly to a Long knock-down from close range.

It was a highly accomplished and professional performance throughout the team, with the added bonus of another promising display from pacy winger Jimmy Kebe.

Reading: Federici, Rosenior, De La Cruz, Bennett, Ingimarsson, Karacan, Golbourne (Sigurdsson 71), Kebe (Kelly 84), Bozanic, Long, Lita
Subs: Andersen, Hateley, Bignall
Yellow card: Lita

Derby: Hinchcliffe, Beardsley, Dudley, Addison, Johnson, Feilhaber, Jones, Teale, Lewis, Earnshaw, Sterjovski
Subs: Kean, Richards, Booth, Forde, Simmons

Full report

Reading started brightly and had the first chance after six minutes when persistent play by Oliver Bozanic allowed the Australian winger to cut infield from the left and stab a deft volleyed effort just wide.

The next opportunity came with a free kick 30 yards out after a foul on Liam Rosenior, but Bozanic's curling set-piece bounced harmlessly into the hands of goalkeeper Ben Hinchcliffe.

Derby's expensive strike force of Robert Earnshaw and Mile Sterjovski was receiving scant service, with Ivar Ingimarsson in commanding form after his return from suspension.

Reading's next effort on goal came on 24 minutes from the unlikely source of Ulises De La Cruz, cutting infield from left back to fire an ambitious long range effort that was deflected wide. From the resulting corner Bozanic's delivery was flicked across the face of goal by Shane Long.

A minute later Jem Karacan picked up possession in midfield and fed Long, who turned it onto Jimmy Kebe. The winger showed great pace to burst into the box before being foiled by a last ditch challenge from Mark Dudley.

The resulting corner caused more danger as it was cleared to the edge of the box where Karacan shot. The ball was deflected back to the midfielder, whose second attempt was a rising drive that flew just too high.

Derby finally mustered an effort to trouble Adam Federici after 28 minutes when a set piece was headed down by Sterjovski, but David Jones volleyed straight at the Aussie keeper.

On the half hour Reading again went close when Karacan's crunching challenge saw the ball ran loose to Long, who clipped it to the right where Kebe laid a pass inside for Bozanic, whose curling right footed effort drifted wide.

The chances were flowing now, as Long flicked on an excellent header for Lita to race goalwards, but keeper Hinchcliffe raced off his line to smother the striker's shot.

Then Rosenior launched a long pass forward and Kebe claimed a penalty after controlling with his chest and being clattered to the floor, but nothing was given.

Reading continued to dominate as the half wound down, and went close again when Karacan intercepted well in midfield and clipped an excellent pass through for Lita, whose half volley on the turn flew just too high.

The deadlock was finally broken on the stroke of half time with a classy goal - Long's clever backheel released Rosenior on a speedy overlap, and his precise cross was turned into the net from close range by Lita.

It was no more than Reading deserved, and a second goal nearly followed in injury time when Kebe turned delightfully to raced away down the left. He ran unchallenged into the penalty area where a heavy touch seemed to lose the chance, but he still managed to round the keeper before shooting against the post from a narrow angle with the goal gaping.

The second half was less than ten minutes old when Lita added his second, beating the offside trap to receive Bozanic's through ball and smash a low shot into the near post from 12 yards.

There seemed to be no way back for Derby, and Long fired a low 20 yard effort narrowly wide after a Bozanic back heel as Reading continued to press.

Derby had a penalty appeal turned away as Mile Sterjovski was challenged on the edge of the box by Ivar Ingimarsson, but it was a rare excursion for the Rams into Reading's half.

A third goal always looked likely, and it arrived in fine style with 20 minutes remaining when Long made a brilliant solo run through the visiting defence and fizzed a low shot into the net via the left upright.

Two minutes later it was four and Lita's hat trick, controlling Karacan's long ball and racing clear before smashing an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net from 20 yards.

It was a goal feast now, and the Reading's fifth came when Rosenior's deep cross was headed back across goal by Long, and Lita reacted smartly to fire high past Hinchcliffe for his fourth of the night - and the third goal in five minutes.

Karacan and sub Gylfi Sigurdsson shot straight at Hinchcliffe as more goals were threatened, and the bedraggled visiting Rams clearly just wanted the game to end.

They finally got their wish without any further addition to the scoreline, but it was a hugely impressive display from Brian McDermott's team.

Full video highlights will be showing on Reading World on Thursday.