READING FC surrendered a two-goal lead in a 5-2 home defeat to Fulham in the Under 18 Premier League.
Royals broke the deadlock at Hogwood Park shortly before the break thanks to a fine strike from Jazz Wallace from the edge of the box.
Then Ethan Coleman stepped off the bench to double Reading’s lead early in the second half with a clinical header from a free kick.
However, Fulham quickly recovered and pulled one back within 90 seconds through Nicolas Santos-Clase.
Royals were then stunned by a 19-minute hat-trick by Cameron Thompson to put the visitors 4-2 ahead.
Reece York completed the comeback with Fulham’s fifth, though Reading U18 boss David Dodds put his young side’s defeat into context.
“Fulham were quite a senior team, I think they had two first years (scholars) and the rest were second years,” he said.
"We had the opposite, we had some Under 17s and some Under-16s in there as well.
"We got a little bit of fatigue in the second half, and then we had a really good chance at 3-2 down.
"It was a disappointing performance, it was an unusual one being 2-0 up then getting beaten 5-2, but hopefully they'll learn from it.”
Reading U18s: Rosario, Elva-Fontaine, Nditi, Burley, Dorsett (Pendlebury 75'), Buchanan (Coleman 46'), Sparta, Matete (Lawless 60'), Moore, Wallace, Nolan. Subs not used: Hillson, Lawrence.
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