Reading's hopes of a day out at Leicester in January in round three of the FA Cup disappeared in a bizarre couple of minutes at the end of this match. Despite having almost all the ball for almost all of the game and creating almost all of the chances, York City went through thanks to two offside goals right at the end when it looked like the game was going to go to extra time. Reading were the only team in it for most of the game, but after having failed to take their chances York needed the referee to intervene and award the game to the third division underdogs. York can take credit for a solid defensive performance as Reading looked for a way through throughout the entire second half - their keeper was probably man of the match as he kept the Reading attack out. However every one of the 150 or so travelling supporters must admit they couldn't have done it without the referee. With the score at 1-1 and a couple of minutes to go both goals were clearly offside, and the first was clearly offside twice in the one move as York broke forward following constant Reading pressure.

After Caskey's performance as substitute at Notts County he earned a recall to the starting eleven with Cureton back on the bench, and with Rougier and Butler up front Reading quickly went about looking like the team from the higher division. Reading looked calm and relaxed and for a while it looked like York might have come to just hold out as long as they could against a team hot favourites for victory. After passing the ball around and bit, and with York playing it defensive, Reading took the lead six minutes before the half hour. Viveash played the ball out from within the Reading half to Rougier down the right wing, Rougier strode forward and looked to cross with Butler racing in looking for the ball. The cross came, but it was much further back, and there was Darren Caskey to stick his leg onto it and send it flying into the back of the net to make it 1-0 to the Royals. And at that moment it only looked like there could be one result. Cue songs about playing Millwall on a Tuesday night, and if you're all going to Leicester clap your hands.

On the half hour the referee made one in a series of bizarre decisions, awarding a free kick to York on the right well inside the Reading half for no obvious reason. The free-kick was pumped into the Reading box, came out to the edge of the area and was driven in with some serious velocity into the top of the net giving Whitehead no chance in the Reading goal. York's first and only shot of the first half - but the equaliser. 1-1.

Reading pushed forward again and it still looked like there could be only one outcome, despite the scores being level. Reading relaxed again to start playing it around all over the park waiting for the right moment to break through and have a go on goal. This was probably our biggest mistake as time kept ticking by and York continued to be level. Having said that we could have easily gone in ahead at the break. Even before we'd scored we could have had a penalty after a handball from a York defender inside the area - the referee chose to ignore that one though. Martin Butler could have scored after being delivered the ball by Lee Hodges on the edge of the box to go one on one with the goalkeeper. Not for the last time the keeper came off best - Butler took it forward and shot, but the keeper got down quickly to his left to push it wide and out of play.

Rougier looked to have scored after the ball dropped in the area from a free-kick from Newman, he seemed to lose where it was, before finding it again and snapping it into the net. The whole East Stand were on their feet - but unfortunately the referee had spotted the ball hit Rougier's arm when it dropped into the box.

The second half continued much the same with Reading much on top and having all of the ball. York always looked capable of troubling Hunter up front who had come on for Mackie at the break - but they were unable to provide their forward men with any service as Reading camped out in the York half looking for a goal or two. For a long period of the half Reading won corner after corner that were pumped into the York box - but York packed out the area and their keeper continued to come to the rescue to keep them in the game. Martin Butler had a couple of chances that he failed to take - sending a couple over the bar when he should have done better with. And once again the keeper got the better of him as Butler was released into the area. The keeper dived at his feet, Butler went flying, but it was no penalty - just a superb claim from the keeper. Jones had a decent shot after the ball was crossed to the left, but Jones' close range shot, probably the highlight of his evening, was well saved by the keeper yet again.

Despite most of the play being in the last third of the pitch Viveash reserved some applause from the home crowd by a nice crunching tackle on York's Hulme - returning the treatment after Hulme was rightly sent off in the first attempt at this tie for a disgusting challenge on Viveash. Viveash picked up a yellow card, but I'm sure he'll think it was worth it. Again following on from the first half Rougier had a goal disallowed after running free from the defence. After a nice bit of skill he drove it past the keeper from just inside the box. The ref had already blown for offside and booked Rougier for his troubles. That offside decision was far closer than the ones to follow which were to cost Reading dearly. Newman almost scored with a long range effort that beat everyone apart from the York keeper once again and then Reading followed it up with a whole load of more corners, but without getting it on target.

And so the game entered the last five minutes. With the game at 1-1 and Reading having all the play it seemed inevitable that York would somehow win the match - that's typical Reading. What followed was an amazing show of poor quality refereeing that cost Reading extra time and possibly a trip to Premiership Leicester. With two minutes to go York played the ball forward from right to left inside the Reading half - it was clearly offside but play continued. Two York players legged it forward to take on Whitehead, and rather than drive it home they took it right into the box and, with just Whitehead in their way, played it forward to the spare man in the middle of the area who sidefooted it home. Offside two twice in a couple of seconds, and clearly not a goal. Well clear to nearly seven thousand people in the ground - but not the referee. 1-2.

If that wasn't stupid enough it happened again as the game entered injury time. The ball was played forward with just Whitehead and Iwelumo for York inside the Reading half. The flag bizarrely stayed down, the referee way behind the play failed to question it and Whitehead and Iwelumo both legged it towards the spare ball. As Whitehead charged out of his box the players arrived at almost the game time, but the ball hit Iwelumo last and spun the wrong direction - rolling slowly into the back of the Reading net. 1-3.

On the balance of play Reading should have never lost this game. However the referee shouldn't take all the credit for the result - despite fixing it. York came as massive outsiders and worked hard to keep Reading out - their keeper was blinding. Even without the final five minutes of this tie York might have snatched it on the break in extra time. Reading should look at a whole series of missed chances and our complete inability to score goals against a third division side that had already conceeded 32 goals in the league this season. Reading have now lost four out of the last seven games and won just two - and that's not promotion form.
Graham

Following report from Neil Cole:

Reading's attack, which has been so lethal for most of this season, lost its edge against 3rd Division York, as the Royals were knocked out of the F.A. Cup despite dominating this 2nd round replay. The chances mounted up throughout the game, but Reading simply couldn't finish off the battling York, who eventually won the game thanks to two very late goals.

Chairman John Madejski will today be counting the cost of missing out on another lucrative cup tie. He saw our chances of two games against Newcastle disappear after a dreadful home defeat to Leyton Orient in the Worthington Cup earlier this season. It was the same story today, as York won the prize of a trip to Leicester City in early January. Madejski had spoken before the game of this game being "vital" to Reading's bank balance, with the chairman eyeing up the possibility of a replay and a packed Madejski Stadium. Instead, he will have to be content with the knowledge that Millwall also lost tonight, so the crucial Division Two match can go ahead as planned on Saturday January 6th. This fixture should pack the Stadium, and has the potential to be first Reading F.C. sell-out at the new ground.

Alan Pardew again decided to change the team and the tactics for tonight's match, following the defeat at Notts County on Saturday. He started with a 4-4-2, with Tony Rougier partnering Martin Butler up front. Darren Caskey returned to the side, at the expense of Jamie Cureton who was back on the sub's bench.

The decision to play Rougier in a front two has to be questioned. It is blatantly obvious that he is not a centre forward, since he is rarely to be seen inside the opposition's box. Rougier's talent can be seen when he plays wide, since his pace, strength and trickery are his greatest assets. Although Rougier played well at Notts County and tonight, he did not do the job of a centre forward, leaving Butler on his own too many times.

Pardew's treatment of Jamie Cureton has also been unacceptable. Cureton was dropped while in good form, simply to allow Pardew to adopt a more defensive approach in away games. This clearly shattered his confidence, and Cureton has not been the same since he was first dropped at Wigan earlier in the season.

The game itself started well for Reading, and the Royals were in the lead within 25 minutes of the first half. Some good work from Rougier on the right followed by an accurate pass into the box allowed Darren Caskey to fire in the first goal.

However, as had happened at Bootham Crescent, Reading allowed York to get back into the game shortly afterwards. A City corner found its way to Steve Agnew, who struck the ball superbly past Phil Whitehead. It was another excellent goal from York, and was enough to stop Reading from building on their early lead.

It could have been different though, if Butler had taken a golden chance which fell to him before half-time. Sent through on goal, Butler was unable to beat the keeper with his shot, who got enough on the ball to slow it right down and allow a York defender to clear from the goal-line. Keith Jones showed today he is willing to have a go at goal, but his two first half efforts were both narrowly wide. Reading also saw a Rougier goal disallowed, in a good quality first half.

The second half was again dominated by Reading. Butler had another good chance early on, but could only fire his snapshot over the bar from close range. Jones also had another effort well saved by the York keeper after he had latched onto a Caskey cross. The best effort of the half came from Ricky Newman, whose 30-yard effort swerved viciously before being well saved again by the City goalie.

It seemed the game was heading into extra time, when York suddenly got a goal from nowhere. A through ball found two York strikers looking suspiciously offside, but both the referee and his assistant allowed play to carry on. It was a simple goal for York, and one which infuriated the Reading players and fans. The referee had been poor all evening, and the decision to allow the goal effectively knocked Reading out of the cup.

With only injury time remaining, Reading threw everyone forward. The third goal was largely irrelevant, coming as a result of the entire Reading defence getting forward in an attempt to find an equaliser.

Its "concentrate on the league" time now, as Reading once again disappoint in the cup. Another shocking home defeat to a lower league side can only be put right by league success. This has to start on Saturday, with anything other than a win at home to Luton unacceptable.

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