Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article
U18 Report: Saints 0-4 Reading
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Ben House netted twice in the first half to give the Royals a safe lead, before he secured his hat-trick in the second half and Jordan Holsgrove completed the scoring.
It took the visitors just three minutes to gain the advantage at Staplewood. Alex Cull saved an initial strike from a right-sided cross, but could only parry the ball as far as House who needed no further invitation to hammer home from close range.
With the deadlock broken, the visitors set out to further their advantage and almost did on the ten-minute mark. A deep free-kick from the left was volleyed in off the crossbar by Ade Shokunbi, but the midfielder saw his effort ruled out for offside.
The Royals could well have had a spot-kick midway through the first half as House burst into the right of the area and tangled with Javen Siu, but referee James Vallance quickly waved away any claims.
Reading did eventually double their tally, though. With the final kick of the half House slotted neatly under Cull, after Joel Rollinson latched onto a long ball in the area and cut back from the on-rushing striker.
Craig Fleming used the interval two make two changes to his side, as Ben Rowthorn and Siph Mdlalose were introduced in place of Harlem Hale and Will Smallbone.
Reading’s danger man House continued the second half where he had left off and almost completed his hat trick early on. Latching onto a long ball over the top he looked to steer the ball past Cull at his near post, but the Saints ‘keeper did well to deny him.
Fleming was then forced into making his final change of the afternoon, as Michael Obafemi went off injured and was replaced by Jonathan Afolabi.
Soon after Holsgrove made it 3-0 to Reading with a fine individual effort. Picking the ball up on the edge of the area the midfielder moved into space and rifled a strike past Cull and into the top right corner.
House continued to pose a constant threat for the Saints backline and completed his hat-trick on the 70-minute mark. The Reading frontman was first to react as the ball dropped in the penalty area and headed in from close range to put the result beyond doubt.
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