READING turned the Southern Counties North form book on its head as they secured just a second home win of 2017 with a staggering 46-10 triumph in their derby against Reading Abbey on Saturday.

Having beaten the same opponents 20-16 back in Feburary before both were relegated from South West One East, Reading made a blistering start as Alex Murray-Smith made a clean break before releasing prolific wing Chris Greig to open the hosts’ account. Nick Portch converted before adding a penalty to give Reading a platform with a 10-0 lead.

Abbey – who lost captain and scrum half Will Bevan to injury just nine minutes into the game – continued to struggle, although Reading had to wait until just before the break for their second try, Greig setting up fellow wing Jos Clarke for the score.

Diego de Marcilla Bahlsen kicked a splendid penalty for the visitors to cut the gap to 15-3, but Reading then took control.

Flanker Taylor McRoberts rounded off a converted score after the hosts turned over an Abbey scrum on their own 22 – Portch converting – before Fraser Koefman went over at the back of a rolling maul to seal the bonus point.

Abbey pulled a score back through Chris Shaw, de Marcilla Bahlsen converting to make it 27-10, but any hopes of a comeback were dashed as Steve King and Ben Mitchell dotted down.

And Alex Dorliac completed a wonderful day for the hosts by scoring his 100th try for the club on his 175th appearance, Portch converting to round off a rout.

Seventh-placed Reading travel to Aylesbury on Saturday, while Abbey host Beaconsfield.