Roberto Mancini’s team edged closer to that elusive trophy with an unconvincing victory over Reading.
The men from Berkshire, having thwarted Carlos Tevez and David Silva so tenaciously for 74 minutes, looked to be forcing a replay only for Micah Richards to achieve what his illustrious forwards couldn’t, and get the better of the visitors’ fine young goalkeeper, Alex McCarthy.
They’ve certainly taken their time about it, but finally, after 30 years of frustration, City will contest an FA Cup semi-final once more. Whether they will be eagerly awaiting a tie against their Manchester neighbours is another matter entirely. Here they looked like a team whose tank is already running towards empty as they struggled to account for Brian McDermott’s side.
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The demands are relentless for City in this period of nine games in 29 days. Their players arrived back red-eyed from the 2-0 Europa League defeat in Kiev at 5am on Friday. Striker Mario Balotelli, whose face had swollen up at the Valeriy Lobanovsky stadium due to an allergy to certain kinds of grass pollen, was on the bench here as Mancini fielded a team that showed three changes to Thursday’s starting line-up, including captain Tevez.
The visitors suffered a serious handicap with the omission of captain Matt Mills, a former City player, sidelined after failing a fitness test.
His understudy as skipper, Jobi McAnuff, threatened on the left early on as City appeared sluggish after their midweek rigours. Reading’s leading scorer Shane Long caught Aleksandar Kolarov with an elbow as he challenged for a corner but escaped punishment.
For the second successive season, Reading had progressed through to the last eight, although they have only once reached the last four of this competition - and that was in 1927. The Championship side, 27 places below City and pushing for a playoff place, had arrived with a record of being undaunted by superior opposition.
Backed by substantial vocal support, Reading broke with voracious desire in the first half, with winger Jimmy Kebe looking particularly dangerous when cutting in from the right. However, the hosts defended well and Long and Noel Hunt failed to trouble goalkeeper Joe Hart.
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In contrast, his counterpart McCarthy had plenty to keep him occupied. The goalkeeper blocked a venomous drive from Shaun Wright-Phillips and then stopped the follow-up from Silva.
The Royals’ goalkeeper also stood up to another hefty drive from Yaya Toure as Mancini’s men hit their stride. The Royals backline, despite the absence of Mills, reduced City to only those chances before the interval. Left-back Ian Harte, who played for Leeds in a Champions League semi-final a decade ago, showed all his experience in dealing with Tevez and company.
Immediately after the break Jay Tabb cleared off the line after Long inadvertently headed Kolarov’s corner goalward. Silva and Tevez went close to opening the scoring after some splendid footwork from the former, but again McCarthy was well-placed. City were far from their best as Reading continued to frustrate them. When a half-chance did present itself, their shooting was too often woeful and the home crowd grew increasingly restive.
Finally Reading’s resistance was broken by Richards at a set-piece. The visitors had warning enough. One downward header from a Kolarov corner had already been pawed over by McCarthy. The second time the England defender headed powerfully home with the Reading goalkeeper having no chance.
It was tough on the visitors and if only they had possessed a cutting edge to match their defensive qualities, they could have embarrassed City. Though Long tested Hart after a slick break, it was a rare direct assault on the home goal.
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Late on, McDermott’s men threatened from set-pieces though all to no avail. But they departed with pride intact.
Manchester City: Hart, Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, De Jong (Barry 83min), Vieira (Balotelli 70min), Y Toure, Wright-Phillips (Boyata 90+3min), Tevez, Silva
Reading: McCarthy, Tabb (Howard 86min), Gunnarsson, Khizanishvili, Harte, Kebe, Karacan, Leigertwood, McAnuff (Robson-Kanu 62min), Long, Hunt (Church 76min)