EFL TROPHY
By Tom Blackett

STUNNED Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell admitted his young side learned a ‘harsh lesson’ after they were demolished 9-0 by Reading in the EFL Trophy group stage on Tuesday.
The Royals led 2-0 at the break, but then turned up the heat in the second period. Copenhagen loanee Paul Mukairu and 18-year-old substitute Dom Ballard both weighed in with doubles as Reading ran riot.
“We were nowhere near good enough,” Caldwell told BBC Radio Devon. “It’s a harsh lesson, but it’s a lesson they have to take on the chin ...