Charlton 2-1 Reading

Manager Chris Powell named a completely different starting XI from the one which drew 2-2 with Scunthorpe here three days previously.

Among the numerous debutants was Andy Hughes, who was named as captain in the absence of Johnnie Jackson.

The game began brightly and both sides could easily have opened the scoring inside the first five minutes.

Yado Mambo applied a crucial touch to prevent Mathieu Manset connecting with Jobi McAnuff's low cross.

Paul Benson shot wide in the second minute before Charlton's next attack produced a move involving Bradley Pritchard, Benson and Danny Green which ended with the former Dagenham man lining up the ball before he too fired wide.

The game swung immediately back to the opposite end and the Addicks had Cedric Evina to thank for clearing Manset's header off the line.

Jason Euell was clean through in the eighth minute but placed his low drive straight at Royals keeper Alex McCarthy, Benson rose high to head Hughes' cross straight at McCarthy, while former Royals keeper Ben Hamer had to get down low to deny Brian Howard's low angled shot.

But it was Charlton who finally gave the game the goal it deserved on 25 minutes when Green's delivery from the left was met by Euell at the back post.

Benson was able to get to the ball before McCarthy and fired home from close range to put the hosts in front.

It should have been 2-0 five minutes later when visiting keeper McCarthy was caught all at sea and Pritchard's lob looked certain to go in until Shaun Cummings somehow scrambled back to clear the ball off the line.

McCarthy had to be alert to deal with Green's 35 yard low drive, while Hamer tipped over a Brian Howard corner two minutes before the break.

Reading could have been level within three minutes of the second half but Simon Church placed his header over after beating Hamer to get on the end of McAnuff's cross.

An injury forced goal scorer Benson to make way for Scott Wagstaff in the 50th minute.

Reading were awarded a free-kick just outside of the D on 58 minutes but Ian Harte's effort sailed over the bar.

McCarthy made a decent save to deny Wagstaff before Ruben Bover Izquierdo fired the rebound over.

Reading's keeper was a busy man and he did well to push behind a long range shot from Green and then somehow prevent Green's corner from going straight in.

However, there was nothing he could do to prevent Euell heading home Simon Francis' inch-perfect cross from the right.

Hamer was forced to tip over Joseph Mills' free-kick and it was from the resulting 73rd minute corner Reading got themselves back in the game when Sean Morrison fired past the keeper in a packed penalty area.

Charlton had the keeper to thank again 10 minutes from time when he kept out a header and then Wagstaff cleared Manset's follow up off the line.

Bover Izquierdo hit the bar six minutes later shortly before he was replaced by Chris Solly as the home side tried to see the game out.

They did so to book another home tie with Preston next month.

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Charlton: Hamer, Evina, Mambo, Doherty (Morrison 72), Francis, Bover Izquierdo (Solly 88), Hughes, Pritchard, Green, Euell, Benson (Wagstaff 50). Subs not used: Sullivan, Davisson, Popo, Warren.