Monday 16 March 2015
FA Cup Quarter Final Replay
Reading 3 (Robson-Kanu 6, McCleary 9, Mackie 68)
Bradford City 0
Kick Off: 7.45pm
at Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 22,908 (3,348 visitors)
After eight ties and over five months in the competition, City's interest in this season's FA Cup eventually ended at the hands of Championship side Reading as the Royals recorded a comfortable 3-0 victory over Phil Parkinson's men in their quarter-final replay.
Two goals for the home side with less than ten minutes on the clock left the Bantams with it all to do. Hal Robson Kanu gave Reading the lead six minutes in when he glanced home Garath McCleary's corner before McCleary himself doubled the hosts' advantage just three minutes later when his strike from just inside the box deflected off Andy Halliday, looping up over Ben Williams and in.
Two goals down going into the second period, the Bantams' efforts in the game weren't helped just past the hour mark when Filipe Morais was given a straight red card for catching Nathaniel Chalobah with a high boot as the pair contested an aerial ball.
Jamie Mackie then secured Reading's place at Wembley and a semi final showdown with Arsenal six minutes after Morais' dismissal when he fired through Williams' legs after being found in the box by Nathaniel Chalobah.
FT: Reading 3 Bradford City 0
90min: There will be three minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
89min: SUB - Reading bring on Yakubu for Pogrebnyak.
89min: Norwood's long-range drive from outside the area swerves wide of Ben Williams' far post.
86min: SUB - Reading bring on Oliver Norwood for McCleary.
86min: Blackman's low left-footed drive from outside the area rolls wide of Ben Williams' near post.
83min: SUB - Reading bring on Nick Blackman for Robson-Kanu.
79min: Mackie's looping header from McCleary's left-footed cross is held by Ben Williams.
77min: A Yeates corner is headed out as far as the lurking Gary Liddle just outside the Reading box but the midfielder's first time left-footed volley sails well over the bar.
74min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Matthew Dolan for Knott.
Mackie puts the hosts firmly in the driving seat when Chalobah picks out the striker inside the area and he fires a low drive through Ben Williams' legs.68min: GOAL - Reading 3 Bradford City 0 -
- RED CARD62min: Morais is given a straight red card for catching Chalobah with a high foot as the pair looked to win a hanging ball midway into Reading's half of the pitch.
61min: Nathaniel Chalobah tries his luck direct from a free-kick but his driven effort rises well over Ben Williams' bar.
59min: SUBS - The Bantams bring on Billy Clarke and Mark Yeates for Stead and Halliday respectively.
55min: Pavel Pogrebnyak receives the ball from a Chris Gunter throw-in but his first time effort from an angle on the half-volley just outside the area flies well wide of its intended target.
- YELLOW CARD54min: Meredith is booked for bringing down McCleary over by Reading's right flank. James
46min: Reading restart the replay.
HT: Reading 2 Bradford City 0
45+2min: Halliday plays Knott into a pocket of space deep inside Reading's penalty box but midfielder's cut back from the byline across the six yard box is dived on by Federici.
45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
41min: McCleary turns away from Filipe Morais just inside City's penalty area but his left-footed curling effort flies narrowly over the bar.
40min: Ben Williams out quickly to just inside his area to beat Mackie to Robson-Kanu's attempted through-ball.
- YELLOW CARD32min: Alan Sheehan is now booked for climbing over Mackie to win a header just inside City's own half of the pitch.
- YELLOW CARD30min: Danny Williams is booked for similar shortly afterwards after City are given a free-kick deep inside their own half.
- YELLOW CARD28min: Billy Knott is booked for complaining to match referee Mike Jones following the award of a free-kick against Hanson for a push on Alex Pearce at a Bradford corner.
19min: Danny Williams fires for goal from outside the area and Ben Williams flings up a hand to push the swerving drive away.
The Bantams find themselves two goals down less than ten minutes on the clock when McCleary's drive from just inside the area deflects up off Andy Halliday before looping up over Ben Williams and into City's goal.9min: GOAL - Reading 2 Bradford City 0 -
8min: Jon Stead's cross finds James Hanson but the striker's header on the stretch is comfortably plucked out of the air by Adam Federici.
The Royals have the lead when McCleary's delivery into the area from the resulting corner is flicked home past Ben Williams by a glancing header from Hal Robson-Kanu.6min: GOAL - Reading 1 Bradford City 0 -
5min: Jamie Mackie runs into City's area with menace but Stephen Darby makes a vital block tackle from close range as the striker looks to play the ball across the six yard box from near the byline.
2min: Garath McCleary takes aim from outside the area but his rising drive flies some distance over Ben Williams' bar.
0min: The Bantams kick off the tie. They will attack with the end housing the City fans behind them in the first period.
READING LINE UP:
Federici, Gunter, Pearce, Hector, Obita, McCleary, Chalobah, Williams, Robson-Kanu, Mackie, Pogrebnyak
Subs: Andersen, Norwood, Cox, Yakubu, Karacan, Blackman, Cooper
:Reading cautions
Williams (30)
Reading changes:
Blackman for Robson-Kanu (83), Norwood for McCleary (86), Yakubu for Pogrebnyak (89)
BRADFORD CITY LINE UP:
Williams, Darby, McArdle, Sheehan, Meredith, Liddle, Morais, Halliday, Knott, Hanson, Stead
Subs: Urwin, Dolan, Clarke, Zoko, Yeates, MacKenzie, Routis
Bradford City cautions:
Knott (28), Sheehan (32), Meredith (54)
Bradford City dismissals:
Morais (62)
:Bradford City changes
Clarke for Stead (59), Yeates for Halliday (59), Dolan for Knott (74)
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: M Jones
Assistant Referee: S Ledger
Assistant Referee: M Wilkes
Fourth Official: A Marriner