A Mad rush!

BLADES HITMEN OFF TO A REAL FLYER

FORMER Sheffield Wednesday striker Gary Madine made himself popular with the red half of the city as Sheffield United thrashed poor Reading.

Madine – on loan at Bramall Lane from Premier League outfit Cardiff – scored twice before half-time to register his first goals in a year.

His double came after Kieron Freeman got the in-form Blades off to a blistering start with a goal after just 38 seconds.

This latest victory against relegation strugglers Reading made it six in a row at home for Chris Wilder’s men.

The United boss said: “What a super start for us with that first-minute goal.

“We hit them hard from the off then kept the hammer down and squeezed the life out of them.

“Leaving out Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick for Madine and Scott Hogan proved to be the right decision.

“Gaz and Scott were a real handful and with the quick turn-around of games we need to bring in energy and to save other players’ energy.

“I’m pleased Madine wanted to come here last month. He had other choices but he’s shown what he’s about with his two goals.”

Reading manager Jose Gomes said: “It was a very bad day. We started out losing the game by conceding that goal in the first minute.

“I didn’t like the way we played or the way we conceded the goals.

“But we haven’t got time to cry. We play Rotherham next week and that is our match of the season, against a team with us down there at the bottom of the division.”

Freeman gave the home side a dream start to set the stage for Sheffield’s secondstring attack to make their mark as Madine – who spent four years at United’s city rivals – came up trumps.

And Hogan was only denied by two great saves by Emiliano

Martinez.

It was all over long before John Fleck got in on the act with his deflected strike early in the second half.

At 4-0 after 49 minutes there was no way back for the struggling Berkshire boys.

Poor old Reading. They came into this tough encounter on a run of four games unbeaten, including claiming the midweek scalp of Blackburn.

But they were hit by a rampant, in-form Blades outfit.

The Royals had only two shots on target all game – one from Yakou Meite, the other from Lewis Baker – and both were kept out by United keeper Dean Henderson. Freeman’s chance came when Mark Duffy sent over a low angled cross which caused mayhem in the Reading defence and Freeman charged in to divert the ball past a startled Martinez from close range. Then it was the turn of Madine, who hit the winner for Bolton at Bramall Lane last season but hadn’t scored again since moving to Cardiff over a year ago.

There were no mistakes this time, though, as the Geordie smashed home his first goal of the game after just 16 minutes.

Number two came a minute before half-time with Reading all at sea as United swept forward yet again.

Marvin Johnson’s superb cross from the left was met by the incoming Madine, and he swept the ball right-footed past Martinez from 10 yards out.

In between the strikes, Fleck found himself in acres of space and unleashed a long-range blast but Martinez managed to keep that one out.

Old-hand Fleck wasn’t going to be left out, though, and he obliged by cracking in a fourth for the high-flying Blades just after half time, his shot taking a deflection to leave Martinez with no chance.

The win lifted United to second in the Championship table on goal difference from Yorkshire rivals Leeds.