Reading's leading goal scorer Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a late winner to send Reading marching into the last sixteen of the FA Cup. Yet again the Royals took a Premier League scalp as Burnley was sent packing from the Madejski Stadium. Reading's caretaker manager Brian McDermott would have done his prospects of a permanent appointment no harm at all, as Reading make it into the Fifth Round of the FA Cup for only the sixth time in 85 years.

Reading welcomed Burnley to the Madejski Stadium with memories of recent cup glory on their minds, but also with memories of a bitter Play Off defeat at the hands of the Clarets last season. Burnley, at the time managed by Owen Coyle beat Reading over two legs to reach the Championship Play Off final and then subsequently saw off Sheffield United at Wembley to reach the top flight for the first time since 1976. Since that day Burnley have made a reasonable fist of things in the Premier League but Coyle has recently left the club for Bolton Wanderers to be replaced by former Sheffield Wednesday manager Brian Laws. Laws initial match in charge at Turf Moor was a 3-0 defeat away at Manchester United and Burnley's new manager has already seen Reading at first hand this season having been in charge at Hillsborough when Reading won 2-0 there in early December.

The opening exchanges of the first half saw Reading look the most likely side to impact the score board. Grzegorz Rasiak had three half chances in the first quarter of an hour, shooting wide twice and also putting a header over the cross bar. Rasiak was also involved when a shout for a penalty for Reading was made in the 23rd minute. Jobi McAnuff sent a dangerous ball into the Burnley penalty box, where Rasiak appeared to be in a tangle with Burnley defender Tyrone Mears, but referee Andy D'Urso did not think a penalty was merited. For Reading there were few further opportunities, with a high, wide and handsome shot from Sigurdsson in the 26th minute being the most notable. The Icelandic would have been disappointed to see his shot fail to trouble Brian Jensen in the Burnley goal, but Sigurdsson would make amends later in the match.

The first half may have brought few moments that troubled either goalkeepers, but the second period was not in the same vein. Brian Jensen pushed a Simon Church effort wide of the goal in the 48th minute and then eleven minutes later his opposite number Adam Federici stopped a Graham Alexander shot with his legs. Reading felt they had another decent shout for a penalty in the 70th minute. Jobi McAnuff appeared to be hacked down inside the penalty box, but once again Mr D'Urso did not agree. A minute later another chance went begging when Sigurdsson planted a header from a Ryan Bertrand cross wide of the Burnley goal.

As the game entered the final quarter of an hour both sides displayed a sense of determination that seemed to suggest that neither club wanted a replay. Burnley defender David Edgar headed a corner towards the top right hand corner of the Reading goal, but Federici climbed brilliantly to flick the ball away. Brian Jensen then denied Reading again on two occasions. Firstly, Matt Mills headed a Sigurdsson free kick directly at the giant Danish goalkeeper in the 79th minute. Then Jensen saved sixty seconds later from Shane Long's who created a deft low effort from a Bertrand free kick.

With the game heading for an unwanted replay, Andy Griffin crossed into the Burnley penalty box. The ball found its way to Sigurdsson who diverted the trundling ball past Jensen and into the back of the Burnley goal. With just two minutes remaining the goal looked as though it had been timed perfectly. However Burnley produced a scare deep into full time injury time when Chris Eagles broke into the Reading penalty box. A superb last gasp tackle from Ivar Ingimarsson denied Eagles and showed the wonderful spirit that is suddenly emanating from the Reading side.

Reading's win over Premier League Burnley did grab all the day's headlines, but that was thoroughly deserved. Some may think that it is important to concentrate on the league and that is true to an extent. However, winning cup games lifts everybody within the club. Hopefully winning will become a regular habit. With that in mind the cup could prove to be a priceless competition for Reading this season.

By Stuart Croucher.