CARLING CUP 2ND ROUND
Tuesday August 24th, 8pm
Madejski Stadium

READING 3
Matt Mills 16 and 113, Hal Robson-Kanu 62

Attendance: 6,986 (644 Cobblers fans)

Reading: Ben Hamer, Marcus Williams, Jem Karacan, Matt Mills, Noel Hunt (sub Shane Long 94), Michail Antonio (sub Jimmy Kebe 46), Simon Church, Hal Robson-Kanu, Brian Howard, Julian Kelly (sub Jake Taylor 51), Alex Pearce. Subs not used: Adam Federici, Bryn Gunnarsson, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jobi McAnuff.

Cobblers: Oscar Jansson, Paul Rodgers, Dean Beckwith, Andy Holt, Marcus Hall, Abdul Osman, Kevin Thornton, Nathaniel Wedderburn, Courtney Herbert (sub Michael Jacobs 62), Tadhg Purcell (sub Alex Konstantinou 110), Billy McKay (sub Steve Guinan 82). Subs not used: Paul Walker, Charlie Death, Seb Harris, Alistair Slowe.

Referee: Mr R East

Booked:
Reading: Matt Mills (23), Brian Howard (25), Marcus Williams (120)
Cobblers: Billy McKay (52, 1st of the season), Tadhg Purcell (108, 1st), Steve Guinan (120, 1st) 

5 cautions on or before 31 December; 1 match suspension
10 cautions on or before 11 April; 2 match suspension
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension

Sent off:
Reading: none
Cobblers: none

Sending offs: 2 cautions in one game; 1 match suspension but cautions do not count towards above totals. Other sendings off; 1 or 3 match suspension. Extra match ban for additional sendings off.

Northampton Town travelled to Reading for this Carling Cup second round tie. Ian Sampson handed a first Cobblers start to Tadhg Purcell as he replaced Steve Guinan, while Kevin Thornton and Courtney Herbert came in for Michael Jacobs and ankle injury victim Ryan Gilligan.

The Cobblers settled into the game well, and won four corners inside the first ten minutes. The first effort at goal came from the home side however, Hal Robson-Kanu heading a Michail Antonio cross over the bar on 14 minutes.

Reading opened the scoring on 16 minutes. Matt Mills found space in the area to volley home a Brian Howard free kick.

The Cobblers were level four minutes later from a set piece of their own. Courtney Herbert did well to win a corner on the right hand side and after keeper Ben Hamer had twice failed to gather Nathaniel Wedderburn's delivery, Andy Holt drove the loose ball into the empty net.

Tadhg Purcell was inches away from putting Ian Sampson's side in front with an outrageous back heel from a Herbert cross, before Matt Mills was booked for a foul on Billy McKay. The name of Brian Howard followed into the book moments later after a trip on Herbert.

Howard then hit the top of Oscar Jansson's cross bar with a curling 26th minute free kick, while for the Cobblers Kevin Thornton's drive was inches too high after he was found in space just outside the Reading area.

Matt Mills was just wide with a header from a corner at the end of the first half.

The Royals made a change at half time with Jimmy Kebe replacing Antonio.

The referee waved away penalty appeals from the Cobblers in the opening moments of the second half after Kevin Thornton was bundled over in the area.

Herbert's pace was causing problems for the Reading defence, and after he had held off Marcus Williams his low delivery was parried away by Hamer, the ball being cleared for a corner that Beckwith headed wide.

Jake Taylor replaced Julian Kelly in Reading's second substitution, before Billy McKay was booked for leading the Cobblers protests over the referee's failure to award a free kick.

Purcell rose highest to meet a 54th minute Andy Holt cross but his header was saved by Hamer, while at the other end Jansson did well to block Kebe's close range effort.

The impressive Purcell shaved the outside of the post with a left footed drive from the edge of the area that had Hamer beaten, but moments later the home side restored their lead, Hal Robson-Kanu driving home after Oscar Jansson and his defenders had blocked a number of shots and rebounds in a goalmouth scramble.

Michael Jacobs came on for Herbert in the first change for the Cobblers, but then, like they had in the first half, Ian Sampson's side were back on level terms quickly when Kevin Thornton followed up to score after Hamer had tipped Billy McKay's shot away.

Jansson saved well from Kebe's left footed far post effort on 74 minutes, before Steve Guinan came on for McKay.

Kevin Thornton lit up the Madejski Stadium with a superb 88th minute run that took him past four defenders and into the area, but he was denied by a sprawling save from Hamer who made the save diving to his right.

The Cobblers had the ball in the net through Steve Guinan in the closing stages of the three minutes of added time, but the assistant referee cut short the wild celebrations with what must have been the tightest of offside calls. The Reading fans knew their team had just had a lucky escape, and booed their players at the end of 90 minutes.

Shane Long came on for Noel Hunt in the fourth minute of extra time, while Michael Jacobs curled off target. The midfielder linked up well with Kevin Thornton in the 100th minute, the two of them giving Steve Guinan a chance but the striker was denied by a close range save from Hamer.

Purcell's low drive was gathered by Hamer as the Cobblers continued to make the extra time chances in the first period.

After half time in extra time, Reading came out on the attack, and Jansson pushed away a Shane Long effort before Purcell was booked for a foul on Williams. That was to be the last action for the former Darlington man, as Alex Konstantinou came on to make his debut.

Reading went in front for the third time in the 113th minute when Matt Mills rose highest to head home to look to finally settle what had been an epic night of cup football where Northampton Town had done themselves proud. Brian Howard hit the inside of the post in the added time at the end of extra time, before the dramatic twist in the closing seconds, Alex Konstantinou taking the tie to penalties with the last kick, scoring via a deflected effort from the left hand side of the area that went in off Matt Mills.

The tie therefore went to penalties;
Simon Church (Reading) saved 0-0
Steve Guinan (Northampton) scored 0-1
Shane Long (Reading) scored 1-1
Kevin Thornton (Northampton) scored 1-2
Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading) scored 2-2
Michael Jacobs (Northampton) scored 2-3
Jake Taylor (Reading) missed 2-3
Abdul Osman (Northampton) scored 2-4

The Reading fans graciously clapped the Cobblers from the field as the Northampton Town players ran to celebrate with their delirious supporters behind the opposite goal.

READING MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 12
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (6) 8
CORNERS: (2) 8
FOULS: (5) 13
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (6) 9
CORNERS: (5) 8
FOULS: (9) 15
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (1) 7

The above stats are recorded by club staff. The stats shown elsewhere on this page are recorded by the Press Association.