Spurs star Keane quick to snuff out Reading's Cup interest

Once Keane had given his side the lead inside 15 minutes, there was precious little of the drama of the two sides' previous two meetings with Spurs looking uncharacteristically comfortable at the back.

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Steve Coppell never thought Steve Coppell never thought his side could win the competition anyway, while few will predict Tottenham can serve up a shock against United.

But at least the romance of the Cup is alive and well at White Hart Lane and there will be little chance of Juande Ramos fielding an understrength side at Old Trafford in 10 days' time.

At the Madejski, perhaps understandably, football's oldest knockout competition is viewed in much more pragmatic terms.

But stories highlighting Reading's lack of concern about the FA Cup, largely prompted by Dave Kitson's assertion he 'could not give two s****' about the competition, had clearly touched a nerve.

It prompted a bullet-pointed rebuff on the club's website in the run-up to last night's replay highlighting just why Reading were eager to go as far as they could.

The explanation included profiles outlining the quality of Coppell's 'B' team in an attempt to prove their participation did not devalue the competition.

And Coppell did not stray from his usual cup selection policy last night, his starting line-up including just five regular first-team players.

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Stephen Hunt, whose two goals at White Hart Lane forced the replay, started on the bench amid continued speculation he could soon be on his way to Sunderland.

Like Coppell, Ramos indulged in some chopping and changing, although the absence of Dimitar Berbatov was apparently due to a bout of flu rather than any impending move to Manchester United.

Sir Alex Ferguson, along with Fabio Capello and Harry Redknapp, was in the stands.

It no doubt came as a blessed relief to Reading, if not Sir Alex, that Berbatov was missing, since the Bulgarian was responsible for six of the 14 goals the two sides have shared in their previous two meetings.

Ledley King was also not included either, with Spurs clearly not ready to risk their injury-prone skipper on a heavy pitch while 18-year-old defender Chris Gunter was handed his first start since moving from Cardiff.

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Paul Robinson was missing from the squad altogether, but his absence was a result of his wife giving birth to a baby boy on Monday night, his place on the bench going to 20-year-old Tommy Forecast.

This was the third meeting between the sides in 17 days, and once again they were quickly into end-to-end mode.

Keane came close to giving Spurs the lead inside nine minutes, Jermaine Jenas' ball just too strong for the Irishman.

At the other end unsettled Leroy Lita blasted an effort from a tight angle over the bar after turning Younes Kaboul.

Back came Spurs, Jermain Defoe sending a looping header over the bar.

A goal was coming and Keane did not disappoint. Kaboul had a free header from Jenas' corner which Adam Federici did well to tip on to the bar. But Keane was the first to react, tapping in the rebound for the 99th goal of his Spurs career.

It was the cue for Spurs to take their foot off the gas a little, although they continued to look the more threatening.

Federici was almost forced into a repeat of Robinson's gaffe with Hunt's 40-yard shot in the first meeting, the Reading stand-in backpedalling towards his line after gathering Pascal Chimbonda's effort.

Five minutes before the break Spurs came even closer to doubling their advantage, Defoe blasting a volley goalwards from Kevin-Prince Boateng's cross which Federici did well to parry.

Reading showed a little more adventure after the restart, with pride still a major motivating factor.

And given Tottenham's propensity to gift their opponents routes back into games it was worth a try.

But Ramos' side were showing little to suggest that yet another collapse was in the offing.

And having failed to trouble Radek Cerny before the break Reading struggled to carve out a clear-cut chance, a woefully wide strike from Nicky Shorey the best they could muster.

Hunt's introduction for Shorey livened up Reading's attacking options, but the fact Tottenham's traveling support began to cheer a succession of passes by their side told its own story.

Reading: Federici, De la Cruz, Ingimarsson, Pearce, Shorey, Rosenior, Cisse, Harper, Convey, Lita, Long. Subs: Hahnemann, Doyle, Hunt, Cox, Henry.

Tottenham: Cerny, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Gunter, Tainio, Jenas, Boateng, Malbranque, Defoe, Keane. Subs: Forecast, Stalteri, Taarabt, O'Hara, Lennon.

Referee: Mike Riley (Yorkshire)