Cardiff City 2 (McCormack 58, Ledley 83)
Reading 0

The Royals bowed out of the FA Cup with a 2-0 defeat to Cardiff City at Ninian Park this afternoon.

The game was closer than the scoreline would suggest, with Bobby Convey slicing a great opportunity wide and Shane Long forcing Peter Enckelman into a reflex save with the game still goalless.

At the other end Adam Federici had been relatively quiet but could do nothing to keep out Ross McCormack's close range header after the usually trusty offside trap from a Cardiff free kick broke down.

With the Royals pressing for a leveller Leroy Lita had an effort scrambled off the line before Joe Ledley ran onto McCormack's pass to slot home the decisive second.

Cardiff City: Enckelman, McNaughton, Kennedy, Gyepes, R Johnson; Rae, Ledley, Whittingham, Parry, Bothroyd (McPhail 75), McCormack.
Subs: Heaton, Capaldi, Purse, Comminges, Scimeca, Blake.

Reading: Federici; Murty, Kelly, Bikey, Pearce; Matejovsky, Karacan (Sigurdsson 78), Henry (Kebe 70), Convey (Church 74), Long, Lita.
Subs: Andersen, Golbourne, Cisse, Robson-Kanu.
Yellow: Bikey

Ref: A Taylor

Full report

Reading started the brighter of the two sides and Leroy Lita and Bobby Convey both threatened the home goal before a golden opportunity was created after 15 minutes.

Shane Long did well down the right to find James Henry, who showed quick feet to cut back a low cross into the path of the unmarked Bobby Convey, but with the goal gaping from 12 yards the American winger sliced his effort well wide.

Midway through the period Cardiff began to get into the game, and after 28 minutes they had a penalty appeal waved away when Peter Whittingham's floated cross glanced off Andre Bikey, but with the home team claiming handball only a corner was awarded.

Shortly before the interval some hesitant City defending nearly gave Lita a sight of goal before Gabor Gyepes finally scrambled the ball away, and the half ended with the scores level.

Early in the second period another good opportunity came Reading's way as Lita found Convey, whose left-wing cross fizzed into the stride of Long, and the Irishman was unfortunate to see his first-time effort fly straight at Enckelman - a yard either side of the home goalkeeper and it was in.

On 52 minutes Long was tripped on the edge of the box and Convey whipped the free kick over the wall, but Enckelman was safely behind it to gather.

It was looking promising for Steve Coppell's side but their good work was ruined as the hour mark approached.

Cardiff swung in a free kick from 40 yards and with most defenders charging up for offside, Julian Kelly delayed his run out and Roger Johnson was played onside. The former Wycombe defender calmly controlled at the far post before lofting a ball to Ross McCormack, who slotted home a near post header.

Five minutes later Federici was nearly the victim of a horrible bobble as he shaped to clear a Bikey back pass, the ball slicing horribly off his boot and forcing the Aussie stopper to scramble back towards goal in desperation to clear at the second attempt.

Seconds later McCormack homed in on goal from the left before poking a low shot wide of the left post, before Bikey's outstretched leg turned a Whittingham cross against the top of his own crossbar, and the hosts were well on top.

But then the Royals threatened to find an equaliser; after 69 minutes a delightful pass from Marek Matejovsky released Kelly inside the box but the full back sliced his shot high and wide.

Then a left wing corner from Matejovsky dropped towards Lita inside the penalty area and the striker's goalbound stab from close range was somehow hacked away in an almighty goalmouth scramble.

Steve Coppell introduced three attack-minded substitutes in Jimmy Kebe, Simon Church and Gylfi Sigurdsson, but Cardiff made the safe with a classy goal on 83 minutes - McCormack's precise pass found the onrushing Joe Ledley, who finished well with a low side-footed effort past Federici.

The task was now beyond Coppell's men, and Cardiff nearly added a late third when Paul Parry cut back for Whittingham, whose low effort was superbly blocked by Kelly.