Jon puts shirt on the Royals

JON Dadi Bodvarsson came to Reading’s rescue after they had begun by being totally outplayed by League Two Stevenage on a night when they had to switch their kit at half-time.

Championship Reading were forced to change into their away strip because of a colour clash. The Royals’ blue and white home colours were nearly identical to the shirts worn by their League Two opponents.

It was certainly a colourful night for Bodvarsson.

The former Wolves striker scored his first career hat-trick after the BODVARSSON underdogs had dominated the opening half -hour against a Royals side woefully out of form without a win in eight games.

Reading boss Jaap Stam made 10 changes and he must have been regretting that until Jack King’s mistake turned the course of the game.

His weak back-header from Chris Gunter’s 32nd-minute

READING STEVENAGE 3 0

cross was seized on by Bodvarsson, who hit his shot neatly into the corner.

Reading turned the screw and appeared to wrap the game up a minute before the break as a delightful move saw Gunter cross for Bodvarsson to head home via the post.

Despite Reading’s all-change at the break, it was Stevenage who continued to ask questions at the start of the second half.

But it was the hosts who wrapped things up on 64 minutes with the same combination as Gunter crossed for Bodvarsson to score from close range.

It was only the Icelandic striker’s sixth strike of a disappointing campaign since moving from Wolves in the summer and it secured a fourth-round trip to Sheffield Wednesday.