READING FC progressed to Round Four of the FA Cup following a 2-0 replay win over League One Blackpool at Bloomfield Road, writes James Earnshaw.

Goals from Lucas Boye and Jordan Obita sealed the win for the much-changed Royals side.

Mark Bowen made 11 changes to the side which started against Nottingham Forest last week, with eight academy graduates starting the tie and 17 year-old Jeriel Dorsett making his first-team debut off of the bench.

With the draw having already been made; Reading will face the winner of tonight’s match between Carlisle United and Cardiff City at Brunton Park.

With that in mind, we look at the two sides Reading could play in the next round.

Carlisle United

The Cumbrians are struggling in League Two, currently sat in 21st, six points clear of the drop zone.

Winless in 2020, Chris Beech’s side knocked out Dulwich Hamlet and Forest Green Rovers on their way to the Third Round, and bring their Championship opponents back to the North-West following a 2-2 draw in Wales 10 days ago.

Reading have only played Carlisle 10 times in their history, with the last fixture being back in 1982 as the sides played out a 2-2 draw at Elm Park in Division Three.

One to watch if Reading were to play them would be Harry McKirdy.

Nine goals and five assists is not a bad return for a struggling side.

Cardiff City

A club Reading fans know well, the Bluebirds have regular meetings with the Royals, and will have two in two weeks if they are to knock out Carlisle.

With a league fixture in Wales scheduled for Friday, January 31, Bowen’s side will have plenty of opportunity to work the opposition out.

Neil Harris’ side are in mixed form, drawing 0-0 in the previous fixture in the South Wales Derby against Swansea City, but losing 6-1 in their last away fixture to QPR.

They currently sit in 12th, just two points clear of Reading and four points outside the play-off positions.

The 2-2 draw with Carlisle in the first match would have been disappointing for Harris, but he will be confident ahead of tonight’s match of getting into Round Four.

Reading and Cardiff have met 69 times, with the Royals just shading the head-to-head record 25-23, including August’s 3-0 win at the Madejski Stadium.

Reading last met Cardiff in the FA Cup back in 2014/15, and a 2-1 win for Steve Clarke’s side set them on their way to an FA Cup Semi-Final.

The tie will take place at 3pm on Saturday, January 25 at Madejski Stadium.