JON Dadi Bodvarsson doubled his goal tally for the season with a superb hat-trick to fire Reading FC into the FA Cup fourth round and end their eight-match winless streak in all competitions.

The Iceland international has struggled for form and fitness this campaign and has mostly been utilised from the bench.

But he issued boss Jaap Stam with a firm reminder of his quality with three excellent goals in this third-round replay against League 2 Boro.

Whether Bodvarsson did enough to keep his place for the Championship visit of Brentford this Saturday remains to be seen.

But the 25-year-old ex-Wolves forward provided Royals with a major threat up front that had been visibly absent in recent weeks.

When Bodvarsson broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute it was Reading’s first goal in 324 minutes of action after going more than three games without scoring.

The hungry striker helped himself to a second 12 minutes with a brilliant header before completing his treble with 64 minutes gone, with stand-in captain Chris Gunter claiming all three assists.

This was Royals’ first victory of any kind since the win at Sunderland at the start of December and it was also their third clean sheet on the bounce.

Stam made a whopping 10 changes from the side that laboured to a 0-0 draw at Hull City in the Championship on Saturday with skipper-for-the-night the Gunter the only player to keep his place.

Meanwhile, Stevenage stuck with the same starting line-up that faced Royals 10 days earlier and earned another crack at Stam’s men after a goalless draw.

Reading Chronicle:

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson guides the ball past Stevenage keeper Tom King to give Royals the lead.

The visitors felt they had done enough to get past Reading at Lamex Stadium, and they almost took the lead in the 10th minute.

The hosts conceded a free-kick on the left, Joe Martin swung it in and Matt Godden’s glancing header beat Anssi Jaakkola and nestled in the far corner.

But the 600 travelling fans had their celebrations cut short when the offside flag went up.

Yet Stevenage looked the more dangerous side and Royals relied on Jaakkola to bail them out of trouble in the 16th minute.

The visitors broke free down the right and Danny Newton’s cross fell perfectly for Godden six yards out, only for Jaakkola to spread himself well and save the striker’s downward header with his legs.

It was another let-off for the hosts who were struggling to find any rhythm.

They took 24 minutes to muster a decent chance when a Dave Edwards shot from the edge of the box was blocked by Jack King.

But five minutes later King almost gave Stevenage the need with a crisp , first-time effort that required all of Jaakkola’s attention.

Yet Reading stepped it up and broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute.

Gunter found space down the left and, when his cross deflected off King’s head, Bodvarsson scooped up the ball before slotting past Boro keeper Tom King for his first goal in seven appearances.

Royals’ tails were up and, after Bodvarsson saw a powerful shot blocked, they doubled their lead a minute before half-time.

Gunter once again provided the assist with a smart cross and Bodvarsson did the rest with an unstoppable header from 15 yards that went in off the post with King well beaten.

Stevenage avoided any further damage before the break despite a further opportunity for Pelle Clement, whose shot was bravely blocked.

But Darren Sarll’s men came out firing after the break and nearly pulled one back in the 54th minute.

Jaakkola made a smart save to deny Godden at his near post before the Boro striker regained possession and dinked a cross to Newton, who somehow headed wide from six yards out in front of a gaping net.

It proved a costly miss as Reading scored a telling third 10 minutes later to put the tie to bed.

Boro failed to learn their lesson as Gunter drilled over a low cross which Bodvarsson stabbed past King from close range to complete his hat-trick and take his tally to six for the season.

Sone Aluko went close to adding a fourth soon when his rasping effort was parried away by King.

Stevenage could have pulled one back nine minutes from time, but Tom Pett blazed over from 12 yards after Newton had set him up.

Substitute Andronicos Georgiou also fired into the side netting five minutes later.

But Reading stood form and closed the game out to set up a fourth-round trip to Sheffield Wednesday, who beat Carlisle United 2-0 in tonight’s replay.

Reading: Jaakkola, Gunter (c), Bacuna (Richards 78), Ilori, Blackett, Edwards, Kelly, Clement, Beerens, Aluko, Bodvarsson. Subs not used: Mannone, Evans, McCleary, Kermorgant, Popa, Andresson.

Stevenage: T.King, Henry, Wilmot, J.King, Martin, Pett, McKee (Conlon 71), Smith, Kennedy (Samuel 71), Godden, Newton (Georgiou 85). Subs not used: Franks, Fryer, Wilkinson, Vancooten. Booked: Newton 40.

Referee: Tim Robinson.

Attendance: 4,986 (Stevenage 608).