Demarai Gray's hat-trick helps Birmingham City to 6-1 win over Reading

A first-half hat-trick by 18-year-old Demarai Gray has helped Birmingham City beat Reading in their Championship clash at St Andrew's this afternoon.

Birmingham took an early lead when a well-worked free kick found Paul Caddis on the edge of the box and he fired a shot past a helpless Adam Federici, and the Blues doubled their lead four minutes later as Gray latched on to Andrew Shinnie's pass and beat the keeper with a shot from outside the box.

Reading responded shortly after as former Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray looped a header from Gareth McCleary's cross into the back of the net, but Birmingham restored their two-goal lead when Gray pulled a low shot into the bottom corner after a loose ball fell for him in the middle of the box.

Reading had a second goal disallowed after Simon Cox was judged to be offside before he set up Murray, before Gray completed his hat-trick after Birmingham counter-attacked and he slotted the ball home on the stroke of half time.

Seconds after the break Andrew Shinnie added a fifth when he cut inside from the right and fired the ball into the far corner, and it only got worse for Reading when David Cotterill's free kick floated all the way in from a wide angle.

Glenn Murray almost scored a second late on, but he hit the crossbar after being set up again by McCleary.