Reading 0
Tottenham 1 (Keane 15)
The Royals went out out of the FA Cup this evening as Robbie Keane's first half goal proved to be the difference.
Reading played the first half with a 5-4-1, but we were more of a threat in the second half after going to 4-4-2.
Spurs were comfortable in the opening period, and Keane reacted quickly on 15 minutes to turn home after Adam Federici had done very well to tip a header onto the bar.
Federici made another cracking save soon after, keeping out Jermain Defoe's stinging volley. The Australian enjoyed a very good night in goal and was our man of the match after not putting a foot wrong.
Leroy Lita had our only real chance of the first half when it was 0-0, but ended up being booked after going down too easily when Radek Cerny came out to save.
We were better after the break, although it took until the final ten minutes for us to really play with urgency.
Substitutes Stephen Hunt and Simon Cox both went very close, with Hunt smashing a volley onto the bar, then Cox heading one that Cerny saved.
Federici made another brilliant save to turn Steed Malbranque's stinging volley onto the bar, and when Kalifa Cisse headed straight at Cerny, the game was up.
Reading had battled hard to try and get back into it, but Spurs were the better side overall.
Our late push almost produced an equaliser, and we were left with the feeling that we would have scored if we'd upped the tempo earlier.
Defender Alex Pearce made his full debut, and was unfortunate to be sacrificed at half time as we made the tactical switch. Fellow youngster Cox did well on the right wing after the break as well.
Newly-appointed England boss Fabio Capello was in attendance, as well as Stuart Pearce.
Late on, Shane Long was booked and he will now be suspended for the Chelsea game.
Reading: Federici; Rosenior, Shorey (Hunt 65), De La Cruz, Ingimarsson (c), Pearce (Cox HT); Cisse, Harper, Long, Convey; Lita
Subs: Hahnemann, Henry, Doyle
Booked: Lita (simulation 12), Long (dissent 86)
Spurs: Cerny, Chimbonda, Gunter, Dawson, Kaboul (Stalteri 82); Boateng, Jenas, Malbranque, Tainio (O'Hara 75), Defoe (Lennon 61), Keane (c)
Subs: Forecast, Stalteri, O'Hara, Taarabt
Booked: Keane (dissent 73)
Ref: M Riley
Attendance: 22,130
First half
Reading began with a 5-4-1 formation, Leroy Lita doing the lone frontman role and Shane Long wide on the right.
With nine on the clock, a loose touch from Kalifa Cisse gave Jermaine Jenas a chance to get forward in space. The midfielder looked to give Robbie Keane a simple chance, but thankfully the pass was overhit and the chance went.
Spurs were working up a head of steam, and from a corner two Reading defenders left it for each other, allowing Younes Kaboul to get it back across goal unchallenged, and there was relief as Jermain Defoe nodded over.
A moment later, Leroy Lita was played in through on goal, but it never quite sat down for him. He tried to chip the keeper, but Radek Cerny got a hand on it, and Lita was rightly booked for going down too easily.
With a quarter of an hour gone, Spurs took the lead. A corner from their left was whipped in toward Kaboul, who outjumped Cisse and headed goalward. Adam Federici made a great save to tip it onto the bar, but Keane reacted quickest and stabbed home.
Spurs continued to enjoy far more of the ball, and looked comfortable for the next 25 minutes.
They looked likely to get another, but we managed to keep them at bay. As half time approached, Lita had half a chance as Cerny didn't fully gather a cross, but he slashed it over.
Then Federici made another save right out of the top drawer, keeping out Defoe's cracking volley.
James Harper was clearly frustrated at Spurs' ability to keep the ball, and was doing his utmost to get the ball back. His persistence right before the break allowed Shane Long to drill a cross in, and Lita headed just off target.
Second half
Steve Coppell made a half time switch to 4-4-2, bringing Simon Cox on to the right wing and sacrificing Alex Pearce. Young defender Pearce had been solid, and was just the unfortunate victim of a tactical change.
With new England boss Fabio Capello in the stands, Nicky Shorey went into a very unfamiliar central midfield role alongside Harper.
Ten minutes into the half, we put together a very nice move involving Long, Cox and Liam Rosenior. It was worked out to Shorey on the edge, but he curled three yards wide.
Reading were enjoying more possession than they had in the first half, but we struggled to create.
Sub Stephen Hunt got into space with 20 minutes to go, but his cross was cleared. It fell to Rosenior 20 yards out, but the left footed volley was miles off target.
With eleven remaining, Lita did well to find Bobby Convey, and the American should have given Cox a clear run at goal, but got his feet all wrong and the ball was easily snapped up by a Spurs defender, the opportunity gone.
A minute later, Convey did well to find Long, and his low cross was begging to be smacked home, but there was nobody on the end of it.
Reading were upping the ante, and Hunt hit a brilliant volley from the edge of the box, but it came back off the bar with Cerny well beaten.
Straight away we tossed it back into the box, and Cox had a decent chance with a header, but it was too close to Cerny.
Then Lita should have passed to Cox, but chose to shoot himself and was crowded out.
Long was booked as our frustrations became apparent, and will now serve a one-match ban that begins in a week's time, ruling him out of the Chelsea trip.
With Reading pushing, Spurs broke forward, and Steed Malbranque hit a brilliant volley, only for Federici to produce a breathtaking save and turn it onto the bar.
We then got forward in injury time, and Cisse headed at Cerny from some distance, and that was it.
We finished the game with some pride after a late push, but there was underlying frustration as we were just too late in really putting Spurs under pressure.
Spurs now go on to face Manchester United in the fourth round, and we are very much to concentrate on the league.
