READING SCORE IN EIGHT SECONDS!
READING added their fastest ever goal to their best start to a league season for 35 years as their stupendous run under Veljko Paunovic took another turn for the better. There were just eight seconds on the clock when Yakou Meite gleefully swept Lucas Joao’s lay-off into an empty net after a fortuitous ricochet off Barry Douglas’ heels left debutant goalkeeper Aynsley Pears out of position. Eight games in and they are top of the Championship with 22 points, the quickest Reading team out of the blocks since the 1985-86 vintage began with 13 wins. The quick-fire opener — beating Jimmy Kebe’s FA Cup goal against West Brom 10 years ago — was quickly wiped out in a breathtaking start to the contest between the division’s leading scorers and its tightest defence. Harvey Elliott, the teenage Liverpool loanee, crossed from the right and Adam
Armstrong whipped it first time inside Rafael Cabral’s left-hand upright for the first of his two goals. Parity only lasted until the quarter hour, as another teen in Michael Olise — whose long ball from kick-off had caused such havoc — ran around the Blackburn backline on a dribble from right to left that ended with a composed finish. By the 18th minute it was 3-1 as Omar Richards’ left-wing centre was repelled to Josh Laurent, who picked his spot from 20 yards to condemn Armstrong’s glancing header midway through the second half to consolation status. Joao scored a fourth eight minutes from the end.