Benjani is Pompey hat-trick hero

The Royals had only beaten Pompey once in the past 25 years but cannot have defended any worse in any of those previous encounters. Goals from Stephen Hunt and Dave Kitson actually cancelled out Benjani's first-half double but Steve Coppell's side were soon buried under an avalanche of replies.

Hermann Hreidarsson headed Pompey back ahead, Benjani's third was followed by a fine strike from Nico Kranjcar and, after substitute Shane Long had pulled one back for Reading, Sean Davis netted a long-rang shot before Sulley Muntari made it 7-3 from the spot. Nicky Shorey had the last word with a deflected fourth for the visitors.

Benjani opened the scoring after just seven minutes when James Harper lost the ball to Papa Bouba Diop and the Zimbabwean, having sent John Utaka into a crossing position on the left, completed the move by dispatching his colleague's delivery to the back post from close range.

Diop's 30-yard shot forced Marcus Hahnemann into a diving save before Benjani made it 2-0 in the 37th minute. Reading had been slow to react for the first goal and were caught out from their own attack this time as Diop's ball from inside his own half found the recalled front man who scored with a well-placed drive from just outside the box.

The lead was no more than Pompey had deserved and Hahnemann somehow deflected Glen Johnson's shot over after Benjani's header had set up the defender at point-blank range. Davis sent a long-range shot just over but the last word of the half belonged to Reading when Hunt pulled a goal back in stoppage time.

Reading usually concede goals shortly after half-time but this time Kitson scored one, with David James' rash rush out of his box allowing it to take place in the 48th minute. The England goalkeeper never looked likely to reach Hunt's ball from his own half and Kitson, having taken it past him located the empty net with a perfectly-placed shot from a tight angle on the left.

Harper then fired a good chance over but when Diop had a diving header ruled out for offside the reprieve was shortlived for the visitors as Hreidarsson made it 3-2 in the 55th minute. Again Hahnemann appeared to be at fault, allowing the Pompey defender to beat him to Distin's cross and head home from eight yards out.

James made amends for his earlier error by saving Shorey's penalty after Diop had needlessly controlled the ball with an arm in the box. Exactly why a striker did not take it remains unknown but the home fans reacted rapturously with chants of "England's Number One". Benjani made sure the match ball was his with a fine solo clincher with 20 minutes remaining.

Kranjcar made it 5-2 with a headed conversion of a Davis cross but Long's reply - a deflection of a Harper shot with 10 minutes remaining - was quickly followed by Pompey's sixth from Davis. Muntari scored the seventh from the spot in stoppage time after Kranjcar had been fouled by Rosenior. Shorey fired home a deflected fourth before the final whistle ended the mayhem.