Cup stalemate

Spurs 2 Reading 2 (FA Cup 3rd Round)

That old chestnut 'if only' reared its ugly head again.

A perfect pass from Berbatov across the penalty area and Keano fluffed it with his left foot. Seems that's becoming a habit of late. Reading took the lead when the referee's assistant adjudged that the ball had crossed the line from a Hunt free kick. Robbo caught the ball rather than tipping it over the bar and in doing so, the momentum carried him backwards into the goal. However, with outstretched arms, it appeared that he'd prevented it crossing the line. Neither camera angle managed to confirm it.

Spurs managed an equaliser when Lennon passed to Berbatov who was unmarked in the box and he smashed it home. Things improved when a long pass from Dawson found Keane in the penalty area and his legs were taken from under him by the defender. A definite penalty. Berba stepped up this time as Robbie had missed his last two. I'm guessing that may have been the manager's decision not Robbie's as he doesn't strike me as a person who would shy out of taking one at any cost.
Berba scored from the spot with ease to make it 2-1 making his goal tally against Reading 6 in 7 days. He should have had his second hatrick in a week when a great cross from Lennon found him three yards from the goal but agonisingly he trod on the ball at the crucial moment. I could have cried. If it had been 3-1 I'm sure it would have been game over. However, Spurs let Reading back in when Robbo's parried save only went as far as Hunt who scored the equaliser. Things went slightly sour for Spurs when Huddlestone, who had only been on the pitch a couple of minutes, stupidly retaliated and was seen to knock his head onto his opponent's right in front of the referee's assistant. Another match ban to be served!

To make matters worse, if Spurs manage to beat Reading away in the replay, they'll have to face Manchester United at Old Trafford. Could that draw have been any worse? :-(