Reading 5 Burton Albion 1

Last updated : 11 August 2009 By Footymad Previewer
Reading cruised through to the second round of the Carling Cup as Burton's first-ever League Cup campaign was ended barely before it had started.

Three goals in the first nine minutes, from David Mooney and a Nicholas Bignall double, saw Reading take complete control before Gylfi Sigurdsson added a fourth on 26 minutes.

Substitute Jimmy Phillips pulled one back for Burton on the hour, but Mooney completed the scoring when he squeezed in his second at the far post after substitute Noel Hunt's shot had been parried by 46-year-old goalkeeper Kevin Poole.

Before that, Paul Peschisolido's side had been spared further humiliation on their Carling Cup debut by a couple of fine saves from their veteran keeper, in particular a fine reaction stop to deny teenage striker Bignall his hat-trick.

Bignall was one of three Reading players making their debut, goalkeeper Ben Hamer and Icelandic midfielder Sigurdsson the others, while Mooney was handed his first start.

But the youthful team Brendan Rodgers sent out was in stark contrast to the presence of Poole, the Football League's oldest registered player who made his league debut in 1984, before seven of Reading's starting 11 were born.

Bizarrely, it was Burton who threatened first as Greg Pearson pounced on an early error by Liam Rosenior, whose ill-judged chest-back forced Hamer into a brave save at Pearson's feet.

But a minute later Reading were off and running as Mooney opened the scoring with a lethal finish into the roof of the net after Sigurdsson had teed him up.

Bignall doubled that early advantage when he sprinted on to Marek Matejovsky's through ball and clipped a neat low finish beyond the helpless Poole. And the young striker showed a cool composure again on nine minutes when he took advantage of some shambolic Brewers defending to slot into an unguarded net.

Sigurdsson struck the goal of the night on 26 minutes when he burst forward and lashed home a right-foot drive from fully 35 yards.

Phillips pulled a goal back for the visitors when his shot deflected past Hamer, but Mooney's second of the night put the seal on Reading's win.