Last updated on .From the section Football

It was the first time Reading had conceded seven goals in a league game since losing 7-4 at Portsmouth in September 2007

Norwich scored six first-half goals as they thrashed Championship play-off contenders Reading.

The hosts were 4-0 up within 31 minutes through Nelson Oliveira's penalty, Wes Hoolahan's chip, Alex Pritchard's 25-yard shot and Russell Martin's tap in.

Pritchard slotted in his second before Yann Kermorgant pulled one back, only for Hoolahan to tap in for 6-1.

Mitchell Dijks hit the bar for the Canaries before substitute Cameron Jerome slotted in number seven late on.

Reading, who had won their previous three games, stay fourth in the table with five games left to play, six points ahead of seventh-placed Fulham, who beat Ipswich 3-1.

Norwich, who confirmed on Friday that caretaker boss Alan Irvine will remain in charge for the rest of the season, external-link had lost their previous two games without scoring a goal.

But they ripped the Royals apart to become the first side since Portsmouth hammered York in November 2015 to score six goals in one half of an English league game.

Oliveira started the rout from the spot in the third minute after being fouled by Chris Gunter, before Hoolahan chipped over Ali Al-Habsi from six yards from Timm Klose's pull-back.

Pritchard made it 3-0 with a snap-shot from 25 yards into the top corner and steered the fifth into the bottom corner, with Martin having added the fourth from close range after Oliveira's shot was parried.

Kermorgant headed in from a few yards out to pull one back but Hoolahan immediately restored the Canaries' five-goal advantage by tapping in from two yards.

The second half was played at a slower tempo, but Norwich saw Al-Habsi deny Pritchard, Jacob Murphy and Klose before Jerome completed the rout.

Norwich caretaker manager Alan Irvine:

"It was an excellent performance. Bearing in mind the quality of the opposition I think it's the best display since I have been here.

"The lads were absolutely spot on in the way they played both with and without the ball and to be honest we could have had a few more goals.

"To be fair the home form has been good this season - it's just a shame that our away form has been so poor. It's difficult for a side to challenge when you have an away record like ours."

Reading manager Jaap Stam:

"It was a tough afternoon for us - we needed to make it far more difficult for them than that. No-one plays badly on purpose but we needed to be more aggressive out there, we needed to show more.

"It was just one of those days when all their shots on target seemed to go in, every loose ball seemed to fall to them although we didn't help ourselves.

"I don't think it will affect the confidence of the players - all they can do now is learn from what happened to do and then move on, because we have some more very big games coming up.

"We are obviously not happy with this result - but we are in a good position because of the way we play the game, and the way the players have been performing over the course of the season, and you have to remember that."