Shaw among the scorers as Town win at Reading
A strong Hatters development squad came from behind to earn their 11th win in 14 matches with a 4-1 victory over Reading on Monday afternoon.
Gozie Ugwu had the young Royals ahead inside the first five minutes before the Town stormed back to record a comfortable victory thanks to goals from Alex Wall, Shaun Whalley, Alfie Mawson and substitute Jon Shaw.
After Reading’s opener, David Viana came close to an equaliser when his shot came back off the post on 20 minutes, but three minutes later Kane Ferdinand capitalised on a mistake in the Royals defence to set-up Wall to level the score with a low drive.
The Hatters, who also fielded Solomon Taiwo and Anthony Charles, kept the hosts at bay, with a series of Elliot Justham saves keeping the score level, and, just before the interval, the Town took the lead when Whalley’s deflected effort found the target.
It took the Town just six minutes after the half-time break to extend their lead when Whalley’s corner was headed home by Mawson and it was almost 4-1 four minutes later when Mark Cullen’s shot hit the post.
Whalley and Cullen again went close as the Town pressed for more goals but, after making a number changes after the hour mark, it was 4-1 with seven minutes left. Whalley’s effort was kept out by the Reading keeper and Shaw was on hand to gleefully knock home the rebound.
As the game entered its final stages Shaw set-up fellow substitute Zane Banton but his effort from an acute angle struck the post.
Town: Justham (sub King); Longden, Charles, Trotman (sub Chabata), Mawson; Taiwo (sub Rees), Ferdinand, Whalley, Viana; Wall (sub Shaw) Cullen (sub Banton).