READING Raiders sit top of the West of England League after running in nine tries against United Services Portsmouth Seahawks on Saturday.

The Raiders stormed to a 50-10 victory against a depleted Seahawks side who only brought 13 players to Berkshire County Sports for Reading’s first-ever home game in the division.

The spirited visitors, who toiled impressively in the sun for 80 minutes without the luxury of options from the bench, scored the game’s first try, but the Raiders hit back soon after through George House following metre-making runs by Ben Mitchell and Alex Dorliac earlier in the set.

David Abbott then put Reading further in front, before Dorliac scored the Raiders’ third try and Luke Schofield dotted down a fourth after prop Ruan Beukes had palmed the ball back to him after a Portsmouth player had fumbled John Boucher’s searching bomb.

Reading carried on where they had left off in the first half when captain Boucher grabbed a try on the Raiders’ first attacking set of the second half and followed up the effort with his fifth of seven successful conversions on the day.

Dorliac found gaps in the Seahawks defence to get his second try and right wing, Callum Man, showed impressive footwork to step inside his marker for Raiders’ seventh try.

Beukes then scored the try of the match, running hard and fast on the left wing from 40 metres out before Brad Walters scooted over to score a well-deserved try from close range.

Portsmouth had the last word, spreading the ball effectively to score on the right wing.

Stand-in Raiders head coach, Andy Parr, commented: “I am over the moon with the way the boys fronted up. We had the right spread of old heads, game knowledge and young guns to secure the win.

“There were impressive performances which tied the whole performance together from Brad and Jake Findlay, who won the players’ vote for man of the match.

“All credit to a depleted Portsmouth team, who turned up and gave us plenty of things to work on in the coming weeks.”

Reading now have a week off before returning to Berkshire County Sports Club for a top-of-the-table clash against Oxford Cavaliers on June 2 (2pm).