Reading opened their Bristol Street Motors Trophy account for the new season with a 3-1 victory over West Ham United Under-21s at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, Ben Elliott and Charlie Savage were the only players to keep their places from Saturday’s win over Wigan Athletic, but young trio Jayden Wareham, Kelvin Abrefa and Tyler Sackey did the damage.

A slow burner, it took 20 minutes for the two sides to feel their way into the contest and carve out any opportunities. Ehibatiomhan had the first real effort, even making some of the crowd cheer when his powerful effort thundered into the side netting.

It did not take long, however, before a goal went in and the supporters could properly cheer. Elliott fed Wareham through in the box and the striker fired past Finlay Herrick and into the far corner, followed by his trademark front-flip celebration.

Josh Ajala came close for the visitors when Dean ceded possession, the winger forcing Coniah Boyce-Clarke to turn the ball behind for a corner. Seven minutes later, the Royals doubled their advantage. Savage kept possession well on the edge of the Hammers’ penalty box and flicked a pass out to full-back Abrefa. Taking one touch to set himself, the defender fired across Herrick and into the same corner Wareham had found 10 minutes earlier.

With 10 minutes until the break, Steve Potts’ side did manage to half the deficit, a wicked deflection seeing Boyce-Clarke beaten at his near post. Akande should have contributed to a third for Reading shortly before the break, but after a lung-bursting run his end product was lacking, and the winger was shepherded out for a goal kick.

Taking off the more experienced players at the break, it was a much more even half after the break, with the visitors perhaps even shading it. Within two minutes Ajala had a sight of goal, but Boyce-Clarke was on his toes to prevent the forward from rounding him after a ball was floated over the defensive line.

Lewis Orford- a classy midfielder through the proceedings, drove into the box 10 minutes later and found Kamarai Swyer, but his first-time effort was both high and wide from inside the box. The Royals saw a few dangerous balls whipped across the face of goal, but Herrick had a much quieter role in the second period as both sides contested the affair predominantly in the midfield.

Junior Robinson should have levelled the scores with 20 minutes remaining when he was left unmarked in the box and picked out, but Garcia managed to throw his body in the way of the goal-bound effort. Debutant Ashqar Ahmed should have killed the game off when he was sent clear on goal with less than 10 minutes remaining, but his tame effort failed to test Herrick.

Eventually, the Royals did manage to kill the tie off. Driving through midfield, the ball was worked out wide before being cut back to debutant Sackey. The midfielder side-footed past the keeper with precision to put daylight between the sides.

Returning to League One action at Wrexham on Saturday, Cheltenham Town and Newport County await in the remaining Bristol Street Motors group phase fixtures.