Hull City brushed Reading aside as a brace from Keane Lewis-Potter and a goal from Alfie Jones saw the Tigers record their biggest home win of the season.

After a dull opening 40 minutes, Lewis-Potter netted to start the road to victory and it was in truth never in doubt. Jones scored his first goal for the club on 53 minutes and then Lewis-Potter wrapped it up in added time after substitute Tom Eaves had played him through.

Embed from Getty Images

  • Story of the match

Kicking off in the bright sunshine, the opening five minutes saw a lot of action in the middle of the park but not much in the way of actual chances. The home side forced a corner on six minutes after good work from Richie Smallwood, but the Reading defense managed to clear without any real danger.

Allahyer Sayyadmanesh's excellent pressing was out in force again on 13 minutes when he almost forced a mistake from Reading goalkeeper Orjan Nyland. However, neither side really got any passages of play together and as the half-way point of the first period approached the deadlock did not look like being broken.

Richie Smallwood's header on 25 minutes following George Honeyman's free kick was the next chance for the home side, but it looped over the bar to safety. Lewie Coyle then pulled the ball across the goal but it was just nicked away from Honeyman as the Tigers started to build. Keane Lewis-Potter won a corner on 28 minutes, but Honeyman's excellent corner was headed wide by Alfie Jones when Lewis-Potter was in a better position for the chance.

Reading came close on 35 minutes when Josh Laurent should have done better with a headed chance that Nathan Baxter gobbled up gratefully. Lucas Joao was next to fire wide as the visitors started to get forward a little more.

Just as they did though, Hull City broke forward and Keane Lewis-Potter smashed in past Nyland on 40 minutes. The home side had just edged a game of little incident and Lewis-Potter's quality showed with his tenth league goal of the season. That woke the Tigers faithful up and City were the only team in it from that point. The referee's whistle went for half time soon after Honeyman and Joao didn't see eye to eye on a challenge.

Half Time: Hull City 1-0 Reading FC

Neither side made changes at half time and the second half continued much as the first had ended. After a great free kick from Honeyman, a goalmouth scramble led to Alfie Jones poking home for his first goal in Hull City colours on 53 minutes - and the first goal a centre half had scored for the club all season.

Reading went forward just before the hour mark and Jacob Greaves took the attacker out - but the referee played advantage only to see Baxter make a superb stop. Reading's corner was cleared after Greaves was booked for his previous foul.

Another superb delivery from a Honeyman freekick forced a corner on 68 minutes, but Reading cleared their lines. Sayyadmanesh was a constant thorn in Reading's side all afternoon and his pressing once again disrupted their play at the back. He broke in behind and delivered a superb ball to the far post, where Lewis-Potter just couldn't get on the end of it.

Coyle, Sayyadmanesh and Honeyman's link up on the right hand side was growing in confidence and the speed of the counter almost set up another chance that Reading just about cleared for a corner. Sayyadmanesh was then replaced by Tom Eaves to a standing ovation from the Tigers crowd.

Regan Slater went close after Greg Docherty and Ryan Longman came on for the impressive Honeyman and Coyle respectively with ten minutes to go. Reading did force a number of corners, but as four minutes of added time were announced Eaves ran in behind only to be pulled to the ground - but the referee bafflingly gave a goal kick. Keane Lewis Potter added his second just before the end of the game to deservedly make it 3-0 after Eaves' lofted pass played him in behind.

However, the result mattered not to Reading, as defeat for Peterborough United meant they stay in the Championship next season. Hull City were outstanding from one to eleven and although Lewis-Potter was named man of the match, there were several candidates including Honeyman, Allahyer and Smallwood.