Stoke City 2 (Pericard 8, Sidibe 49)
Reading 2 (Henry 45+1 (pen), 75)

Reading lose 4-3 on penalties

The Royals went out of the Carling Cup on penalties this evening after an eventful evening at the Britannia Stadium.

Leroy Lita put the final spot kick well over the bar, and the result was a little harsh on Reading, who had the better chances despite being on the back foot for much of the game.

Vincent Pericard had given Stoke an early lead, and Reading were on the back foot in the first half but levelled in injury time when James Henry scored from the spot after Andre Bikey was fouled.

Mamady Sidibe put City back in front just after the break, and again we looked out of it but Henry scored a magnificent second with a left-footer from 25 yards.

Reading then had the better of it, and Leroy Lita looked certain to score from a yard but somehow headed wide. Steve Simonsen then had to make a great save from Scott Golbourne and we lost out on spot kicks.

Stoke: Simonsen; Wilkinson, Dickinson, Higginbotham (c) (Cort 100), Shawcross; Buxton,  Whelan, Lawrence, Cresswell (Fuller 78); Pericard, Sidibe (Philips 62)
Subs: Sorensen, Davies, De Laet, Wedderburn, Cort
Booked: Whelan (foul 21)

Reading: Federici; Kelly, Golbourne, Bikey, Ingimarsson (c); Cisse (Pearce 97), Gunnarsson (Sigurdsson 94), Henry, Convey (Mooney 105); Lita, Long
Subs: Andersen, Spence, Sodje, Bozanic
Booked: Bikey (foul 48), Cisse (foul 64), Henry (celebration 75)

Ref: Lee Probert

Attendance: 9,141

With eight minutes gone, Stoke took advantage of some slighty loose defending to edge themselves in front. Liam Lawrence took a corner down their left wing, and we couldn't cope with the movement in the middle, Vincent Pericard shaking off his man to head simply into the corner.

Former Juventus man Pericard then had another chance to turn home, but could only produce an airshot some eight yards in front of goal.

It had taken us 15 minutes to settle, and we almost got in with a good break down the right, James Henry slipping in a lovely ball, only for Julian Kelly's cross to be plucked out of the air as Shane Long raced in.

Almost immediately Bobby Convey unleashed a cracking strike from 25 yards, but Steve Simonsen saved well in Stoke's goal.

City were causing us problems, especially out wide, and Sidibe almost made it 2-0 on 19 minutes after a mix-up, but took too long over his shot and Andre Bikey blocked.

The game lacked much quality, but exploded into life just before the break. Bikey made a nuisance of himself inside the box, and amid a mass of bodies he was tripped by Danny Higginbotham.

Henry was quickest to grab the loose ball, and rolled the spot kick home, sending Simonsen the wrong way as the keeper dived to his left.

Second half
After clawing themselves into the game, Reading went behind again soon after the break. The goal again began from a corner, with it coming out to Glenn Whelan on the edge of the box. His shot was blocked, but fell to Mamady Sidibe, who lashed home a very good finish.

Reading were on the back foot, but had a good chance on 57. Kelly did well to pick out the onrushing Brynjar Gunnarsson, who cracked in a good low shot. Simonsen parried, but Leroy Lita was on his heels as the ball ran loose. It came out to Kalifa Cisse on the edge, but his shot was miles over.

Stoke continued their dominance, and Reading were living on scraps in what was a tough spectacle for the few hundred Royals fans who made the trip.

But that all changed on 75 minutes with an absolutely brilliant equaliser. Gunnarsson, arguably our best player on the night, showed superb footwork to step away from his man just inside the Stoke half.

It could and should have been 3-2 to Reading just two minutes later. Henry found space down the right, and leathered in a cross that Lita headed wide from no more than two yards out. It was a great chance, although in fairness the cross came in like a bullet.

The game had really opened up and was end to end. Pericard crashed a header in towards our goal but Federici pulled off a wonderful save to keep it out.

Stoke threw on Ricardo Fuller in a bide to stave off extra time, and both teams went close before the end of the 90, including a massive scramble in the City box, Bobby Convey seeing a shot blocked. It prompted a quick break, but Ivar Ingimarsson defended well.

Extra time
A superb Henry run and pass gave Lita a tough sight of goal just a minute in, and the striker caught it well but the 'keeper was equal to it. Sub Fuller troubled Federici a little later but it was comfortable.

As the game entered its 103rd minute, Reading put together a superb team move. Almost every attacking player was involved, and Henry's great drilled cross came to Scott Golbourne at the back post , but Simonsen made a great save from his header. It would have been a brilliant goal.

At the interval, David Mooney came on for Convey, who had picked up a knock, and the Irishman went left wing. It was Reading who continued to do the pressing, and got in some good crosses but couldn't score to avoid the dreaded penalty shoot-out.

Penalties
Fuller - GOAL - Federici goes right; the wrong way.
Bikey - GOAL - smacks it low to the left.
Lawrence - GOAL - only evades the dive by inches.
Henry - SAVED - Simonsen goes down left.
Whelan - GOAL - Stutters and puts it over Federici.
Sigurdsson - GOAL - Cool as you like, great pen.
Buxton - MISSED - Miles over the bar.
Long - GOAL - Smacked in emphatically.
Pericard - GOAL - Gives Federici the eyes.
Lita - MISSED - Miles over and Reading are out.