Adam Le Fondre netted a first-half hat-trick as Reading moved into a playoff place with a 7-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers this afternoon.

Le Fondre put his side ahead in the 12th minute when he reacted quickest to slam home Gareth McCleary's cross at the near post to net his first goal in six games.

Bolton almost replied immediately, as David Ngog took advantage of a defensive slip, but Alex McCarthy stood tall and thwarted the Frenchman.

Pavel Pogrebnyak then flicked a long ball into the path of Le Fondre, who kept his composure to double both his and Reading's tally in the 28th minute.

Five minutes later, the hat-trick was complete. McCleary pounced on a defensive mistake and advanced towards goal before unselfishly squaring the ball to Le Fondre, who could not miss from six yards.

Four minutes before half time, Pogrebnyak put Reading 4-0 up from the spot after a handball in the box.

Le Fondre should have added his fourth shortly after the break, but he blazed his effort over the bar after Pogrebnyak had nodded Jordan Obita's cross into his path.

Kaspars Gorkss added Reading's fifth after an hour when he poked home from McCleary's teasing cross from the right.

Hope Akpan got his first Reading goal in the 74th minute before Bolton were further embarrassed by Nick Blackman, who made it 7-0 with a lofted finish over Andy Lonergan.

Bolton did manage to get a goal with two minutes remaining when Ngog's shot was deflected into the back of the net, but it provided little consolation for the travelling Wanderers fans.