Reading vs West Bromwich Albion. The FA Cup Fifth Round.
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Saturday 20 February 2016 18:55, UK
Reading came from a goal down to beat Premier League West Brom 3-1 and reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.
After a drab first half at the Madejski on Saturday, the visitors took the lead through Darren Fletcher in the 54th minute. However, the Royals hit back through captain Paul McShane's header.
Michael Hector then headed them in front with 18 minutes to play before substitute Lucas Piazon wrapped up the win with a tidy finish in stoppage time to send last season's semi-finalists through to the last eight as the Berkshire club continued their love affair with the competition.
The game ended on a sour note though as West Brom's Chris Brunt was struck by a coin thrown from the away end after the final whistle.
Neither side was able to retain possession in the opening stages on a well-worn pitch. Even when the game did settle, chances were scarce in the first half.
Brunt curled a 30-yard free-kick over the bar for the visitors' best effort before the break.
At the other end, the left-back was being worked hard by the lively Hal Robson-Kanu, the Wales international jinking his way past three before putting in a dangerous cross midway through the half.
From the resulting corner, the ball was eventually set for McShane on the edge of the box but his powerful effort whistled just past the post.
Ben Foster in the West Brom goal was called into action before the half was out though, springing well to tip the ball over the bar to keep out Robson-Kanu's looping header from Chris Gunter's cross.
James McClean provided Albion's biggest threat after switching to the right wing but lacked the final ball on a number of occasions, having worked some space for himself.
It was a different story in the second half though, as Fletcher's goal sparked the game into life nine minutes after the restart.
Salomon Rondon controlled the ball and span his marker before squaring the ball to Fletcher on the edge of the box. The former Manchester United midfielder took a touch before firing low into the far corner.
It was a rare moment of quality in a game that was often lacking in that department.
Reading were level minutes later though as Oliver Norwood swung in a free-kick from wide on the left. McShane got up above the Baggies defence and headed in, despite Foster getting a hand to it.
With the scoreline level, both sides pushed for a second and with 72 minutes on the clock, Reading got it.
Norwood delivered another inswinging delivery and this time, Hector was on hand to nod the ball home at the far post.
That forced Albion to throw men forward, leaving them open to the counter. It would eventually seal their fate but they had two glorious chances to equalise in the space of 30 seconds with six minutes remaining.
First, Fletcher's corner was flicked on to Saido Berahino inside the six-yard box but he was unable to divert his header goalwards allowing Reading to clear. Then when the ball was sent back into the box, it fell kindly to Fletcher at the far post but the midfielder fluffed his lines, managing only to poke the ball straight at Ali Al Habsi from five yards out.
The Baggies continued to press forward, leaving their defence wide open with Robson-Kanu shooting wide when clean through, but Piazon put the icing on the cake in added time. The midfielder fired in from 12 yards after being picked out by Ola John.
