Jack Marriott's finishing has transformed Reading's season, and today he gave an exemplary lesson in the art of finishing which deprived Wycombe of a deserved victory with a stunning hat-trick. Like all great finishers, his anticipation and awareness allowed him to react faster than everyone around him. He struck the ball with remarkable power and unerring accuracy giving Wycombe 'keeper Norris absolutely no chance of making a save.

This result leaves Reading just three points behind sixth placed Huddersfield with a game in hand, with fifteen matches remaining. That said, they are not yet playing the quality of football to be considered serious contenders for promotion, although with Marriott in his current form, anything seems possible! Wycombe, consider themselves to be credible play-off candidates, and dominate dpossession (65%) from start to finish. Reading won their only corner of the match on the hour and only managed four attempts on goal compared to Wycombe's twenty-four. It was a statistical massacre. I have rarely seen such a disjointed Reading performance.

In the opening exchanges Quitirna missed an absolute sitter from ten yards with Pereira sprawled on the deck in front of him after pushing the ball invitingly into his path. A couple of minutes later Marriot raced through a statuesque Wanderers back line and popped the ball over a startled Norris. Goal-poaching of which the legendary Jimmy Greaves would have been proud! (Fans born in this century take look on You Tube.)

Reading struggled to get out of their own half. Their passing was woeful and movement off the ball virtually non-existent. A Wycombe equaliser seemed only a matter of time, and then Marriott scored a second out of the blue on the stroke of halt time. Casey lost possession with a heavy touch on the halfway line and the predatory Marriott pounced. With Wycombe defence caught flat-footed by Casey's error, Marriott flashed past them into the box and rifled the ball past Norris beating him for pace at his near post. A stunned Wycombe left the field at the interval wondering how on earth they were two down.

It was no surprise when the visitors went for the jugular at the start of the second half and Reading were so passive they conceded after five minutes. A cross whipped in from the left skimmed past a line Reading defenders, and replays indicated Casey appeared to have the last touch as the ball found its way in the net. With Wycombe in the ascendency, and Reading unable to keep possession, their momentum delivered a deserved equaliser. The ball reached Hagelskjaer wide on the left. The marauding Danish defender lashed home a spectacular strike from an acute angle. Reading had capitulated and seemed likely to concede again. Liam Richardson desperately tried to stem the flow of Wycombe attacks with substitutions. The introduction of Savage and Roberts certainly looked more secure in midfield. The departing Young had looked out of his depth in this kind of contest. Reading still looked all at sea with Savage initially clearly unsure where he was supposed to be playing, and then two minutes later, out of the chaos, came the final twist of the drama.

Savage dinked a ball over the Wycombe defence. Marriott latched onto the ball and wasted no time at all in getting his shot away to beat Norris for the third time in three attempts. Having knocked the stuffing out of his opponents, Jack was replaced by Ehibhatiomhan for the last few minutes, reappearing after the final whistle with the match ball tucked under his arm, to milk the thoroughly deserved applause again. Reading had three points and new hero.

John Wells