Meite strikes four as Royals hit five past Luton
YAKOU Meite struck four times including a remarkable first half hat-trick to take Reading close to safety with a comfortable win over relegation threatened Luton Town.
Meite opened the scoring in the
17th minute and added a second just a minute later. He then wrapped up his treble 10 minutes before half-time to put the Royals into a three-goal lead.
In the second half, Puscas added to the scoreline with his head before Meite added his fourth to his tally to wrap up a superb Royals victory.
Mark Bowen switched up his side after Reading’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford, with Tom McIntyre, Gabe Osho and Tyler Blackett coming into the side, meaning there was no place in the starting line-up for captain Liam Moore.
Blackett burst down the left and played a low cross into the box which fell invitingly for Yakou Meite just six yards out, but Luton keeper Sluga brilliantly across his goal to make the save to prevent Reading from taking an early lead.
The hosts then came inches away from taking the initiative in the 13th minute. Harry Cornick tricked his way past Blackett on the right wing and swung a ball in which was met by the head of James Collins who crashed a header against the crossbar from a few yards out.
Swift and George Puscas linked up before he found Meite who seized his opportunity this time and slotted the ball into the bottom left corner.
Just a minute after opening the scoring, Meite had another to double the visitors lead in the 18th minute.
Luton failed to clear from Osho's cross and cleared the ball straight to Meite who capitalised and slammed the ball past Sluga.
With 10 minutes to go until the break, Meite completed his hat-trick. Ejaria slipped the ball through the
Luton back line to find Meite wide on the right in the box and the Ivorian opened up his body and curled his finish beyond Sluga into the corner on his left foot to complete a remarkable first-half.
Puscas appealed for a penalty early in the first half when he was tripped off the ball by Pearson as he tried to charge down the goalkeeper, but the referee waved his appeals away.
But Puscas eventually found his reward in the 57th minute when he added a fourth for Bowen’s side. Morrison headed the ball across the box from Blackett’s deep cross and was met at the back post by the Romanian who nodded the ball in from a couple of yards out.
Bowen’s first change of the afternoon sawAyub Masika replace Pele on the hourmark.
Meite added a fourth just after the hourmark to continue his spectacular afternoon as he broke through the middle and cooly finished past Sluga to make it five.
Dan Potts had a late chance to get a consolation goal for Luton but was denied by the feet of Rafael.