THERE is to be no FA Cup semi-final for Reading this season after the side were cruelly – and controversially – beaten by Crystal Palace in Friday night’s quarter-final.
Brian McDermott’s men looked to have done enough to have taken the Premier League Eagles to a replay, but were dealt a crushing blow when Jake Cooper conceded a penalty five minutes from time.
The young defender, who was already on a yellow card, was to be shown a second and sent off when sending Yannick Bolasie to ground while chasing a lost cause into the box.
On first instance it looked a clumsy challenge by the centre half, but later replays show contact between the two was minimal.
Not only that, but Yohan Cabaye, who had become embroiled in his own personal battle with Ali Al Habsi in the Royals’ goal, would break the deadlock from the spot.
The hosts had to push for an equaliser, but leaving gaps at the back would allow Palace to surge forward and hit a second, which would arrive four minutes into time added on and was scored by replacement Frazier Campbell.
In fairness, it was the visitors who arguably deserved to go through – yet it would take a penalty kick for the Eagles to finally break down stubborn Reading resolve – and Al Habsi.
The ‘keeper was in scintillating form and would produce a number of stunning saves – with most to deny Cabaye – to help keep his side in in the contest.
Al Habsi was one of only four players to keep their place in the team following Tuesday’s 3-1 loss at Huddersfield Town in the Championship.
Changes were expected, but perhaps many would not anticipate the seven made by McDermott.
In came captain Paul McShane and Hal Robson-Kanu, who had recovered from recent injuries, and they were joined in the side by Oliver Norwood, Jordan Obita, Ola John and Stephen Quinn, while Simon Cox was handed a start up front, replacing the cup-tied Yann Kermorgant.
Out went Andrew Taylor and Evans, who was also ineligble, with Garath McCleary, Danny Williams, Lucas Piazon and Deniss Rakels named on the bench.
The tie started at a fast pace, but it was Palace and their multi-million pound assembled side asking all the questions during the early exchanges, with Wilfried Zaha and Bolasie causing problems, in particular, with their pace.
And the pair would combined to great affect and create the first real opening of the game for a team managed by former Royals’ boss Alan Pardew, who was, as expected, given a frost and hostile reception.
Zaha was to steal in and set off down the right, playing the ball to Adebayor who, in turn sent Bolasie charging down the right touchline before driving into the Royals box, where his inviting cross was hooked away by Chris Gunter for a corner.
The away side posed a real threat on the counter, and another attack would need McShane to be alert, with the defender nipping in to take a Joel Ward cross away from Adebayor, who lurked some five yards out.
It was not all one way traffic, however, and Reading would soon be appealing for a penalty when Simon Cox went to ground under a challenge in the area.
Such protests, however, were half-hearted and referee Mike Dean was having none of them.
They would work Wayne Hennessey in the Palace goal into a save when Hector climbed highest to meet a Norwood corner from the left, but the header lacked the necessary conviction to trouble the shot stopper.
His opportunity would come just moments after Zaha was presented with a sight of goal.
Jordan Obita, however, recovered well and produced a vital block to thwart the winger.
Bolasie then chanced his luck, only to find the side netting before Mile Jedinak dispossessed Hector of possession in a dangerous position and send Adebayor through on goal.
The Togo international looked to stoke the ball into the far corner, but was foiled by a fine stop from Al Habsi, who was only just warming up.
It was one of several important stops from the Reading ‘keeper, who did brilliantly to keep out a Cabaye free-kick from some 25 yards at full stretch before foiling Bolasie once again, with Joe Ledley unable to profit from the rebound.
While Al Habsi was arguably the busier of the two ‘keepers during the first 45 minutes, it was a mistake by opposite number Hennessey which also yielded the opening goal.
The Wales international, recalled to the side in place of former Royal Alex McCarthy, came racing off his line to try and collect a Robson-Kanu cross from the left – only to drop the ball on to the feet of Ola John.
It looked like an absolute gift for the winger, and although the angle was tight, John looked odds on the roll the ball into an empty net.
But what should have been the deadlock breaker was to become a terrible miss, with the player shanking the ball wide from yards out.
Now an open and entertaining contest would see the sides trade more chances before the break.
Reading once again looked to cause the Eagles issues from corners, where Hector saw a strike blocked after McShane proved too much of a handful for one opponent.
The captain would end up on the floor, but again Dean was not interested in any appeals which came his way.
Having seen off the danger, Palace duly surged up the other end, where Cabaye let fly from some distance over on the left side, but put too much swerve on the strike, which flew past the far post.
It was the visitors who again started the second session on the front foot, but would continue to find Al Habsi in inspirational form.
A free-kick swung in from deep by Cabaye was sent goalwards by the head of Jedinak, but the Palace captain would stand aghast as the Royals’ No.1 produced a terrific stop to palm the ball out for a corner.
The visitors would go close again from the flag-kick, which was hung up to the back post.
Meeting it as it came down was Scott Dann, but Stephen Quinn did his job on the post and was on hacked the ball away.
The game had been far from dirty, but a clash off the ball between Zaha and Gunter would result in some ugly exchanges between the sides.
It would take a few minutes for order to be restored, where the pair were duly booked.
A tetchy period would follow, where Bolasie and Cooper followed their respective team-mates into the book.
It was, though, the foul conceded by the latter which again saw Palace go mighty close to going in front.
The defender had upended Zaha on the edge of the box and Cabaye lined up the set-piece.
The Frenchman did everything right, but Al Habsi was not for beating – diving to his left to divert the strike away for a corner.
Although Palace looked the more likely to seize the initiative, John was again left wondering what if.
Determination from Robson-Kanu saw him work into space before sending over a gorgeous cross to the far post.
Waiting to meet it was an unmarked John, who nodded the ball down towards the near post.
The majority of the sell-out crowd thought it was going in, but Hennessey had other ideas, and would produce a last-ditch save to keep it out.
John would also be at the end of another opportunity which fell Reading’s way, but was well wide when fancying his chances from 20 yards.
While openings for the hosts were few and far between after the break, they had done more than enough to at least force a replay – and few could begrudge such an outcome.
Dogged and determined were the home side at the back, but such good work was undone by a costly moment from Cooper.
Royals had done well to sniff out a Palace foray forward, only for the ball to be recycled and pumped back into the box by Pape Souare.
It looked easy pickings for Al Habsi, but Bolasie was keen to put him under pressure. His dart into the box, though, was ended by Cooper, who stopped him in his tracks.
Contact was minimal, and perhaps the attacker had made a little too much of the touch, but a foul was called and a penalty awarded, with the defender sent off having picked up a second yellow.
The Cabaye-Al Habsi battle was to resume from the spot, but the latter was harshly denied a more than deserving clean sheet – although he did get a hand to the strike.
McDermott threw on Deniss Rakels in an attempt to try and snatch an equaliser, but hopes of doing so would be dashed.
Pushing men forward ultimately left the hosts short at the back, and the away side were to duly exploit the situation, working the ball up the opposite end, where Adebayor would lay on Fraizer Campbell for a shot at goal.
The striker, who had only been on a matter of minutes, saw his initial effort hit the inside of the post, but luck was on his side, with the ball rolling back in his path.
With Al Habsi committed, Campbell would belt the ball home from centimetres out.
Defeat leaves Reading with a late push up the Championship table to focus on.
They return to action away at Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday (7.45pm).
READING: Al Habsi, Gunter, McShane, Cooper, Obita (Rakels 90), Hector, Robson-Kanu, Norwood (Williams), Quinn, John, Cox (Vydra 60).
Subs not used: Bond, McCleary, Ferdinand, Piazon.
Booked: Hector, Gunter, Cooper
Sent off: Cooper
CRYSTAL PALACE: Hennessey, Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare, Zaha, Cabaye, Ledley (Sako 79), Bolasie (Campbell 90), Adebayor.
Subs not used: McCarthy, Gayle, Mutch, Kelly, Puncheon
Referee: Mike Dean
Attendance: 23,110.
