Davis in 17 seconds!
SCORCHING Keinan Davis scored Nottingham Forest’s quickest goal in 22 years as they took an afternoon off from FA Cup giant-killing.
Forest host Liverpool at the City Ground in the quarter-finals a week today, but before that there was Reading to demolish in the league, with QPR next up on Wednesday night.
Davis took only 17 seconds to send the relegation-threatened Royals on the way to a big defeat, the fastest Forest goal since Jack Lester scored against Norwich in March 2000.
Joe Worrall set it up with a pass that sliced through Reading and allowed Djed Spence to square the ball for Davis to turn and finish off.
“While Lewis Grabban has been out injured, he has been working with Davis on his positioning and his finishing,” revealed Forest boss Steve Cooper.
“That great early goal was the result of what the two of them were doing on Friday.”
The Royals should have been level before the break, with Michael Morrison’s shot saved at close range and Josh Laurent missing a header.
Davis hit his second goal in the 62nd minute, going past three defenders, with another clinging to him, as he slammed in a drive. Ryan Yates added a 25-yarder 15 minutes from time and, before the end, substitute Sam Surridge finished off a move made by the two other subs, Cafu and Xande Silva.
Reading are four points above the drop and boss Paul Ince said: “The players didn’t dig in and they are going to have to because we are in a dog fight for survival.” NOTTINGHAM FOREST: Horvath 6, Worrall 7,Cook 7,McKenna 7, Spence 7, Yates 8, Colback 6, Lowe 6 (Cafu 41, 6), Garner 6, Johnson 6 ( Silva 77,6), Davis 9 (Surridge 62, 6).
Subs not used: Samba, Figueiredo, Mighten, Lolley.
READING: Southwood 6, Yiadom 6, Morrison 6, Dann 6, McIntyre 6, Rinomhota 5 (Ejara 57, 5), Drinkwater 6 (Joao 71, 5), Ince 6, Meite 6, Hoilett 6, Laurent 5.
Subs not used:Nyland, Dele-Bashiru,Barker, Clarke, Abrefa.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Keinan Davis. Took Reading on from first minute and gave them good bashing.
REFEREE: Thomas Bramall 6.
VITAL STATS