Gary Madine scored his first goals for Sheffield United since joining on loan from Cardiff City
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder was delighted his selection gamble paid off after they hammered Reading to go second in the Championship without top scorer Billy Sharp and strike partner David McGoldrick.
The Blades scored after just 38 seconds, when Kieron Freeman bundled home Mark Duffy's low cross.
And they never looked back as loanee Gary Madine twice fired home before the break and John Fleck's deflected strike made it 4-0 shortly after the restart.
"We try to pick the right team, always, and it got the job done," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.
"We had to make the right decisions for the benefit of the energy that we wanted to put into the team."
Sharp is the Blades' leading marksman, with 22 goals, while McGoldrick has 11 - their 33 goals between them is just one short of Reading's tally as a team this season.
But Madine, on loan from Cardiff City, proved a more than adequate back-up for them both as he scored his first two goals for the club - and first since netting for Bolton against Ipswich in January last year.
"Gary has been outstanding since he walked through the door, in terms of his attitude," Wilder said.
"He's not played a lot of football this season but he's getting better and better. He and Scott (Hogan) were a handful for the opposition."
The win could have been even more convincing but for some good saves from visiting goalkeeper Emi Martinez, and lifts the Blades above Yorkshire rivals Leeds on goal difference, while Reading, who arrived at Bramall Lane on the back of a vital win over Blackburn, are one point above the relegation zone.
United visit promotion rivals West Brom next Saturday, while the Royals host fellow strugglers Rotherham on the same day.
Reading manager Jose Manuel Gomes told BBC Radio Berkshire:
"(It was) a very bad day. We didn't play well. I had to change Ovie (Ejaria) and (Liam) Kelly because they twisted their ankle, so I couldn't manage the game properly from the bench because I had just a last change.
"I didn't like the game. I didn't like the way we allowed this team to play against us.
"I said after the Wednesday game (against Blackburn) that we don't have much time to celebrate and now we don't have time to cry - just recover and prepare in the week to win the next one."
