Carew hat-trick denies Royals Wembley semi final.

Sportsdesk • Published 7 Mar 2010 15:00 0 Comments

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READING'S Wembley dream has been shattered after a 4-2 defeat by Aston Villa in a memorable FA Cup quarter final.

Brian McDermott's side blew a 2-0 lead as Villa scored three goals in 10 minutes early in the second-half to clinch their place in the semi-finals.

Shane Long gave the home side a stunning start with both Reading goals on his return to the side from a four-match ban.

But Villa's Ashley Young pulled one back almost immediately after the restart before John Carew struck a brace as Villa turned it around with a three-goal blitz.

And all hopes of a Reading fightback were extinguished in injury time when Carew completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot.

It was Martin O'Neill's first ever win in March as Villa boss, while McDermott will be left to rue what might have been.

Royals' boss made two changes to the side that battered Sheffield Wednesday 5-0 in the league last week.

Matt Mills recovered from concussion to play in place of cup-tied Zurab Khizanishvili.

And Shane Long, back from his four-match ban, got the nod up front instead of Grezegorz Rasiak, despite the Pole's brace against the Owls.

Meanwhile, Villa boss Martin O'Neill put out his strongest side possible, although Gabriel Agbonlahor was sidelined with a bug.

It was still a star-studded Villa side with ex-Royal Steve Sidwell only on the bench.

And dfespite being in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Premier League, the visitors were desperate to secure another trip to Wembley for the semi final following their defeat to Mancehster United in last week's Carling Cup final.

Royals, though, fear no-one at the moment having already beaten two Premier League sides and promotion-chasing West Brom in the competition.

And they burst out of the blocks again and almost took the lead 10 minutes in through a brilliant Long finish.

Sadly, Simon Church was penalised for fouling Richard Dunne in the build-up.

Nevertheless, it was encouraging from the hosts who looked dangerous going forward and solid at the back against the physical presence of John Carew and Emile Heskey.

Jimmy Kebe was the prime example. One minute nodding a James Milner cross away from inside Reading's six yard box, the next bursting past Richard Dunne at the other end which earned the Villa defender a booking.

And it was from that move that Reading took the lead.

The visitors failed to clear the danger from the free-kick Kebe won and a corner was given when Jay Tabb's angled drive flew an inch wide via a deflection.

However, Brian Howard whipped over the flag-kick, Mills flicked it on and Long was perfectly placed at the back post to head home from a few yards out.

In truth, it was nothing more that Royals deserved. They were matching their illustrious top-flight opponents in every department.

Carew did put the ball in the net a minute later but it was correctly scrubbed out for offside, much to McDermott's relief.

Villa looked shell-shocked. And they began to lose their discipline with Ashley Young talking his way into Mike Dean's notebook for constant back-chat.

And before O'Neill's side regained their composure, Royals doubled their lead with a superb second goal.

Sigurdsson cleverly brushed off a Heskey challenge and sent Kebe away with a perfect slide-rule pass.

The Mali winger switched on the afterburners to go clear of the Villa defence before pulling the ball back for Long whose crisp first-time finish gave Friedel no chance.

Royals fans were in dreamland, taunting the 4,200 Villa supporters with `you might as well go home,' as the half-time whistle came.

It was, though rather premature as O'Neill's side pulled a goal back within two minutes of the restart.

Stewart Downing fed Carew who flicked the ball on to Carlos Cuella. The Spaniard completely missed his kick, but the ball ran to Young who converted at the back post.

Suddenly, the complexion of the game had changed and Reading's confident start gave way to nerves as Villa looked to build on that lifeline.

And McDermott's side had barely recovered form that blow when the visitors equalised in the 51st minute.

Downing was given too much time down the right to pick out the run of Carew who powered a header past Adam Federici from six yards out.

Royals began to look vulnerable with every Villa attack and they conceded a third in the 57th minute.

Stephen Warnock overlapped down the right and Young let his cross run to Carew who flicked the ball past Federici.

It was an incredible turnaround by a Vills side that had been completely outplayed in the first period but now looked every bit a top Premier League side.

Royals, on the other hand, had lost their rhythm and a lot of their belief.

And they needed a vital save from Federici to deny Carew a hat-trick and Villa their fourth.

Yet McDermott's men got it together and very nearly equalsied in the 70th minute when Ingimarsson's bullet header was cleared off the line by Young from a Sigurdsson corner.

Then Rasiak forced a decent save out of Friedel with almost his first touch after coming on and Kebe's effort was deserpately blocked by Warnock following a goalmouth scramble.

Now Villa were on the ropes again with Friedel called into action again to block a Rasiak header from Sigurdsson's free-kick with eight minutes to go.

But hopes of salvaging a replay were snuffed out in injury-time when Ingimarsson gave away a soft penalty by tripping Carew in the box.

The Norweigian slammed the spot-kick past Federici as Reading's best cup run for 83 years finally came to an end.

McDermott can now give the Championship campaign his full concentration with a crucial home fixture against Derby County to come on Wednesday (8pm ko).

Reading (4-4-2) Federici - Griffin, Ingimarsson, Mills, Bertrand - Kebe, Howard (Gunnarsson 59), Tabb, Sigurdsson - Church (Rasiak 71), Long. Subs not used: Hamer, Matejovsky, Henry, Robson-Kanu, Pearce. Booked: Sigurdsson 59, Tabb 75.

Villa: (4-4-2) Friedel - Cuella, Collins, Dunne, Warnock - A.Young, Petrov, Milner, Downing (Sidwell 90 - Carew, Heskey. Sub not used: L.Young, Albrighton, Delfouneso, Delph, Guzan, Beye. Booked: Dunne 25, A.Young 40, Milner 82.

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)

Attendance: 23,175 (Villa 4,230).

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