Reading 3-4 Huddersfield Town: Danny Ward hat-trick piles pressure on Royals
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Hat-trick man Danny Ward was the last player to score three times for Huddersfield in a game when he took the match ball home after a 4-1 win at Watford on the final day of the 2013-14 season
Danny Ward's hat-trick helped Huddersfield Town beat Reading 4-3 and increase the pressure on Royals boss Veljko Paunovic.
A wild first half saw six goals - with five coming in the first 25 minutes - as the returning Lucas Joao put the Royals ahead after five minutes, before Danel Sinani's equaliser soon after.
Danny Ward put the Terriers in front, only for George Puscas to level before Ward got his second within three minutes, but Michael Morrison headed the Royals level again just before half time.
Ward blasted in a long-range third shortly after the restart to seal victory as Reading's winless run extended to eight matches.
Huddersfield moved into the final play-off place, although Middlesbrough could reclaim sixth spot if they beat Blackburn on Monday.
The Royals, who have won just twice in their past 16 games, are still three points and one place above the relegation zone but Peterborough, who are directly below them, have two games in hand.
Reading went into the game having lost six and drawn the other of their previous seven games, conceding 16 goals in the process.
A 7-0 home defeat by Championship leaders Fulham and a 2-1 FA Cup loss at National League North side Kidderminster Harriers were among the poor recent results for the Royals, who have not won since 27 November.
Veljko Paunovic has seen his Reading side win just twice since the start of November
Paunovic recalled Andy Yiadom and Baba Rahman after they returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, as well as bringing back last season's top-scorer Joao.
Joao marked his first start since a hip injury in the middle of August with a simple finish, after good interplay between Baba Rahman and Puscas down the left, but Sinani's deflected equaliser quelled a home crowd who had not seen a win since October.
Sorba Thomas almost put Huddersfield in front three minutes later as Reading again defended poorly, before conceding soon after when Ward fired home unmarked as the hosts failed to deal with two blocked shots.
Romania striker Puscas ended a Championship goal drought that went back to 5 April with a fine low finish from John Swift's pass to make it 2-2, before Ward reacted quickest after Luke Southwood dropped a simple catch from a Thomas free-kick and slotted into an empty net.
It could have been 4-2 but for an excellent block by Tom Holmes as Huddersfield broke, but the unmarked Morrison gave the home side hope when he levelled as his deflected header wrong-footed Lee Nicholls.
It seemed as though the goals would never stop when Ward crashed in his third from outside the box after being set up by Josh Koroma.
Joao had a half-chance for the Royals midway through the half, while Thomas forced a good save from Southwood with a low effort, as Huddersfield earned a fifth win in their last seven games - having not lost since 27 November.
Reading manager Veljko Paunovic told BBC Radio Berkshire:
"It was better, in attack especially our cohesion was much better.
"Some mistakes and naivety is still present and we still have to improve defensively - scoring three goals at home and conceding four is just too much.
"After three weeks of inactivity because of 18 players having to deal with a Covid situation, we had to build in January almost as a new pre-season for us.
"But we are picking up now, I believe this is the moment which is the point of inflection for us and I'm positive moving forward."
Huddersfield head coach Carlos Corberan told BBC Radio Leeds:
"I think the start of the game was really good, but at the same time really bad.
"We were dominating the ball and feeling comfortable with our position on the pitch, finding free players and going directly to the offensive half and taking control.
"But in the first counter-attack we suffered one transition that we didn't defend.
"In the first half for me we did really well in some moments but we didn't defend well, in the second half we didn't attack as we had in the first half, but we defended better and it was necessary to take the three points today."