(FA Cup) Reading 0 Tottenham 1:Juande Ramos is no stranger to success in cup football and his arrival at Tottenham has the club's supporters dreaming of a silver-lined finish to the season. Having steadied plotted a course into the Uefa Cup's knock-out round and made progress to the League Cup semi-final he survived a tricky FA Cup replay here in Berkshire to set up a fourth round trip to Manchester United.
The draw might be unkind but Tottenham will travel to Old Trafford in hope. Despite a nervy finale, Tottenham were good value for their victory last night over a Reading team for whom the hard currency of Premier League points holds sway. Their next two matches are against United and Chelsea.
Robbie Keane scored the decisive goal and although Stephen Hunt, the Reading substitute, rattled the crossbar late on, Tottenham, to the delight of their vociferous travelling support, had done enough.
Keane has undeniably been Tottenham's best player during a trying first half of the season and his value to the team was recognised by Steve Coppell, the Reading manager, who tailored his starting formation in an attempt to nullify him.
Coppell assigned Ulises De La Cruz a man-marking job on the Irishman; from his position up in the stands, he watched as De La Cruz tracked Keane's every movement across and behind the lines, and the rest of his players shuffle in to cover for him, principally Liam Rosenior and even Shane Long, who dropped in to defend on the right.
The plan revealed a flaw, however, on a Tottenham corner. Younes Kaboul rose to meet Jermaine Jenas' delivery and thump a header goalwards that Adam Federici did well to turn against his own crossbar, but Keane reacted the quickest and his right-footed prod brought him his 15th goal of the season and 99th for the club.
Reading might not have conceded as many goals from set-pieces as Tottenham but it remains an Achilles heel for them. Coppell named a stronger team here, featuring four first-team regulars, but Tottenham too were short of full-strength. Ramos rested Ledley King after his recent return from six months on the sidelines with a knee injury, while Dimitar Berbatov was laid low by the flu and Aaron Lennon started on the bench.
Paul Robinson was left out of the squad after his wife, Rebecca, gave birth to a baby boy on Monday night. Presumably, he will not be named Juande.
Ramos deployed Jenas at the tip of a midfield diamond and his team's lead could have been greater at half-time. Jermain Defoe, watched by Harry Redknapp, the Portsmouth manager who would like to sign him, nodded over the bar in the 12th minute and later brought a reflex save out of Federici with a stinging volley.
Ramos gave Chris Gunter, who arrived from Cardiff City at the start of the month, his debut and the teenager emerged with credit but it was Jenas who caught the eye, in front of Fabio Capello, the attendant England coach.
Hunt was close to restoring parity and forcing extra-time when he sent a looping shot from the edge of the area against the bar, with Cerny beaten, and when the goalkeeper kept out Cox's header shortly afterwards, Tottenham were home and hosed. Guardian Service
READING:Federici, De la Cruz, Ingimarsson, Pearce (Cox 46), Shorey (Hunt 66), Rosenior, Cisse, Harper, Convey, Lita, Long. Subs not used: Hahnemann, Doyle, Henry. Booked: Lita, Long.
TOTTENHAM:Cerny, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul (Stalteri 82), Gunter, Tainio (O'Hara 76), Jenas, Boateng, Malbranque, Defoe (Lennon 61), Keane. Subs not used: Forecast, Taarabt. Booked: Lennon.
Referee: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).