The scores were finally settled between Cardiff City and Reading as the visitors twice came from behind to triumph on penalties and book a fifth round FA Cup clash with Premier League side Sheffield United.
The hosts had lead 2-0 early in the second half after goals from Josh Murphy and Robert Glatzel and were seemingly cruising into the next round before Reading began their comeback with an Omar Richards header.
Second-half substitute Andy Rinomhota volleyed home ten minutes from time to complete the comeback and send the game to extra-time.
Cardiff retook the lead within the first three minutes of the additional period, Murphy grabbing his second of the game, capitalising on a defensive error to turn the ball home, but once again the Royals came back fighting as Yakou Meite levelled five minutes from time to send the game to penalties.
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Story of the match
First half goals have been few and far between for Cardiff at home as of late – failing to score in the first 45 in any of their last seven matches at the Cardiff City Stadium – so it came as somewhat of a shock when Murphy fired home the opener after just 18 minutes.
It came after Reading’s Charlie Adam carelessly gave the ball away inside his own half and Murphy needed no second invitation, advancing to the edge of the box before firing a low effort beyond the reach of Sam Walker and into the bottom right corner.
Cardiff could – and probably should – have doubled their lead just moments later. Again Murphy was at the heart of it, holding the ball up well before finding Gavin Whyte on the overlap. He cut the ball back to Danny Ward but he couldn’t keep his first time effort down and Reading breathed a sigh of relief.
Adam was looking to make amends for his costly error and despite his obvious lack of match fitness, Cardiff were wary of what the former Liverpool man could do with the ball at his feet. With ten minutes to go in the first half he delivered the ball into the box towards Yakou Meite whose instinctive ‘scorpion kick’ almost brought the visitors level in spectacular fashion.
Reading made two changes at the break as Adam and George Puscas made way for Garath McCleary and Sone Aluko.
With just under ten minutes gone in the second half, the hosts doubled their lead courtesy of Glatzel’s fifth goal of the season. Will Vaulks found the run of the big Frenchman with a long ball over the top and Glatzel made no mistake, advancing to the edge of the box before curling the ball around Walker and into the bottom corner.
Cardiff had a good opportunity to further their lead five minutes later. Some tremendous work from Murphy, skipping past two players before firing an outside of the foot ball towards Glatzel, he found Ward eight yards out but Readings defence got across well to scramble the ball clear.
With Cardiff crusing, Reading boss Mark Bowen sent on holding midfielder Rinomhota for Pele in an attempt to sure up their midfield.
Cardiff looked as though they could be left to rue those missed chances as Richards powered a header home to half the deficit in the 69th minute to finish off a fine team move by Reading.
Despite the scoreline, the Royals continued to be patient in their build up play and it paid dividends when Tyler Blackett delivered the ball towards Richards whose bullet header at the near post left Neil Etheridge helpless.
This was the third meeting in ten days between the two Championship sides – with the two previous both ending level – and a third draw looked an inevitability when second half substitute Rinomhota fired home a volley to bring the visitors level on the 80 minute mark.
John Swift’s ball towards the back post was headed back across goal by Michael Morrison, Cardiff failed to clear their lines and the ball fell towards the onrushing Rinomhota whose volley flew past Etheridge to even up the scoreline.
The momentum was all Reading’s as extra time loomed and they had chances to win it but thankfully for Neil Harris’ men Etheridge – who recently lost his starting spot to Alex Smithies – was on hand to deny both Rinomhota and Blackett in quick succession as Gavin Ward blew the full time whistle to send the game to extra time.
Despite looking second best to a rejuvenated Reading side as regulation drew to a close, it was Cardiff who took the lead two minutes into extra time.
Fitness is usually a concern when it comes to the extra 30 minutes but not for Josh Murphy, the winger chasing down what looked to be a lost cause and forcing Gabriel Osho into a mistake.
The Royals defender left his header back towards Walker short, Murphy beat the visiting number one to the loose ball before prodding home on the volley to send the Bluebirds back in front.
Reading looked to the bench for a fourth time – as permitted in extra time in the FA Cup – sending on midfielder Jordan Obita for defender Tyler Blackett.
The first fifteen ended with the hosts in front but given the to and fro nature of the game, they knew that there was no time to rest on their laurels.
Vaulks had a fine chance to put the game to bed shortly after the interval as the ball broke to him on the edge of the box but his fierce effort flew high and wide.
Reading refused to be beaten though, and once again drew themselves level as Meite grabbed his second goal at the Cardiff City Stadium in the last five days, meeting Obita’s cross on the volley to send the game to the lottery that is a penalty shootout.
It was the tightest of affairs throughout the 120 minutes of football but the penalty shootout was anything but, Reading winning the shootout convincingly, 4-1.
McCleary, Osho, Obita and Aluko made it four from four from the spot for the Royals to capitalise on misses from Aden Flint and Vaulks as the visitors sealed a fifth round tie with Sheffield United at the Madejski Stadium.