READING’S home ground is colloquially known as the Mad Stad but by 4.50pm on Saturday afternoon, it had become the Fuming Mad Stad as Town recorded a remarkable 4-0 victory to dump the Royals firmly in the final-day relegation battle.

It was one of the stranger 4-0s, with the Royals looking the more likely winners for much of the second half - Town having shaded the first - with the game turning on two incidents either side of the 70-minute mark.

First, Bartosz Bialkowski pulled off one of his trademark brilliant saves from John Swift. Then, at the other, top-scorer Martyn Waghorn slammed home his 15th goal of the season.

From there, the Blues grew in confidence and Jordan Spence made it 2-0 before Reading fell apart in a manner reminiscent of an under-eights side in injury time.

Freddie Sears ended his 38-game barren run with a goal which typified his never-give-up, chase-anything spirit. Then Waghorn grabbed his tenth assist of his superb first season at Town and Callum Connolly finished clinically.

While most of the Mad Stad seethed and waited for the chance to further vent their frustrations towards their players during one of football’s most awkward ever end-of-season laps of honour/walks of shame, the Town players celebrated in front of their ecstatic 1,233 travelling fans.

The process of healing and rebuilding the relationship between the club and its support continues apace under caretaker-manager Bryan Klug, who thoroughly deserves to be able to look back on such an impressive result once he goes back to his day job.

While the margin of victory certainly owed much to the home side’s fragile state of mind, there was still a feeling that Town wouldn’t have maintained their forward momentum under departed ex-boss Mick McCarthy in quite the manner they did at the Madejski.

Although that may be a little unfair - the Blues scored four times twice and five once under McCarthy this season - Town did look more comfortable on the ball and seemed to have more options in attack than has usually been the case.

But equally, it was a result built on McCarthy-esque stalwart defending in the first 20 minutes of the second half when the Royals might otherwise have had the game won.

In addition to the victory and all the goals, there were impressive performances from a number of young players.

Midfielder Tristan Nydam, 18, is getting better with every first-team match, while defender Luke Woolfenden, 19, and 18-year-old striker Ben Folami both made impressive full Championship debuts. Myles Kenlock, 21, appears to be benefitting from having been given a run in the side.

The increasing feelgood factor was also evident when the club announced that season ticket sales were up seven per cent on the same point last year after Monday’s earlybird deadline for purchasing seats at the cheapest prices. Indeed, the phone lines were so busy the club extended the deadline to Wednesday.

What’s been an often fractious season is ending on a positive, more harmonious note which bodes well for the future.

Key to maintaining the burgeoning Portman Road love-in will be owner Marcus Evans picking the right new manager, of course.

That process still has a while to run - Evans expects to name his new boss in late May or early June - but this week has seen Shrewsbury boss Paul Hurst emerge as the favourite.

The 43-year-old is just the type of young boss cutting his teeth in the lower leagues that many fans would like to be appointed.

They would much prefer a younger manager looking to prove himself at a higher level and build a team over time - like Sir Bobby Robson and George Burley in their day - than one of the ‘old guard’ treating Town as just another stopping off point during their lengthy career.

Talking of whom, Sunday is the 40th anniversary of one of the club’s greatest days when Burley was the right-back in Robson’s team which beat Arsenal 1-0 to win the FA Cup for the first and only time at Wembley.

Plenty of that side will be back at Portman Road to remember that great day both tonight for the annual Ex-Players’ Dinner and on Sunday as 2017/18 comes to an end when Middlesbrough visit.

While this season won’t be one being fondly relived in 40 years time, there is at least a growing hope that happier times might soon return.