Norwich City Under-23s beat Reading Under-23s 5-2 in the Premier League 2 Division Two on Friday, despite being 2-1 down at half-time.
City began the game looking dangerous, Flynn Clarke finding Jonathan Rowe with a good ball forward. He pulled it back to the edge of the area, but Reading cleared the danger.
Next time, he picked out Abu Kamara, whose shot was blocked on the line before Clarke shot just over the bar on the rebound.
In the sixth minute, City took the lead when Tony Springett’s cross was headed towards goal by Kamara. Matt Rowley saved, but parried the ball into the path of Tom Dickson-Peters, who notched his tenth league goal of the season with ease.
Rowe burst forward moments later, building up the play well with Clarke, before Dickson-Peters finished off another nice move, only for the offside flag to be raised.
Frequently involved in the chances, Clarke then tried his luck from distance, but Rowley made a comfortable catch.
The visitors had their first effort on target in the 20th minute when a dangerous ball came in for Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, but Angus Gunn closed the angle to save with his chest.
However, it was a sign of things to come, as Ehibhatiomhan equalised from a cross in the 29th minute, first to react to a loose ball by scooping it over Gunn.
Five minutes later, it was the right wing where Reading found joy, a cross from Rashawn Scott delivered for Claudio Osorio to put his side 2-1 up.
The Canaries strung together a tidy passage of play when Dickson-Peters allowed the ball to run through his legs for Rowe, who attacked the 18-yard box with pace.
The ball fell kindly for Springett, but his low left-footed shot went narrowly wide of the far post ahead of half-time.
Reading continued to look dangerous at the start of the second half, Ehibhatiomhan pulling the ball back for Scott to drag a shot wide of the post.
Dickson-Peters latched onto the rebound after Rowe forced a save from Rowley with a long-range strike, but City’s number nine was again flagged offside.
Clarke curled high and wide after gathering a long ball forward for Dickson-Peters to knock down as City grew into the second half.
Springett forced a great, low save from Rowley with a powerful effort from the edge of the area before the pressure paid off.
On the counter-attack, Rowe played the ball through to Kamara. His shot was pushed up into the air, only as far as Dickson-Peters, who headed it back above Rowley to equalise.
Kelvin Abrefa sent a long shot straight at Gunn before Norwich took the lead again. Springett sent a free-kick from the left wing into the box and Jaden Warner rose highest to plant it into the back of the net with his head.
Just two minutes later, City went 4-2 up, three of their goals coming across an eight minute period, when the ball fell for Springett to smash into the goal with just over 20 minutes remaining.
The Canaries again smelt danger on the counter-attack. Rowe had the freedom of Reading's half to run into, going one-on-one with Rowley. He went round the Reading 'keeper, who swiped out an arm to bring Rowe down for a penalty.
Dickson-Peters stepped up, smashing the ball into the top right corner for 5-2, completing his hat-trick.
He then played a lovely switched pass over to substitute Shae Hutchinson in the game's dying embers. The latter did well to work a chance from a tight angle, shooting onto the outside of the post.
Norwich City XI: Gunn, Riley (Hills 81'), Tomkinson (C), Warner, Earley (Hutchinson 82'), Gibbs, Clarke (Thorn 82'), Springett, Kamara, Dickson-Peters, Rowe
Subs not used: Berry
Goals: Dickson-Peters (6’, 61', 77'), Warner (67'), Springett (69')
Bookings: Tomkinson (27’), Earley (63')
Reading XI: Rowley, Holzman, Abrefa, Stickland (C), Bristow (Talent-Aryeetey 68'), Senga-Ngoyi (Abdul-Salam 74'), Scott, Osorio, Camara, Purcell (Nyarko 74'), Ehibhatiomhan
Subs not used: Norcott, Paul
Goals: Ehibhatiomhan (29’), Osorio (34’)
Bookings: Purcell (26’), Abrefa (30’), Senga-Ngoyi (39’), Holzman (42’), Talent-Aryeetey (73'), Rowley (76')
HT: 1-2
Venue: Lotus Training Centre