Wemberlee! Wemberlee! We're the famous Crystal Palace and here are five talking points about the match that saw us reach the semi-final at Wemberlee...
That was a performance of dominance
For all the talk of Reading being unlucky, or for the penalty being unfair (more on that later) - make no mistake, it was a triumph of Palace's forward momentum over Reading's sheer bloody-mindedness. While there was some ponderous play during the first fifteen minutes of the match, the 75-minutes that followed were interspersed with Palace chances and Reading's resolute defending.
In fact, the Royals had one clear chance - a header by Ola John well saved by Wayne Hennessey at the far post - but that pales in comparison to the free-kicks, set pieces and open play chances that Alan Pardew's side created and Ali Al-Habsi snuffed out. The way Palace won it was controversial - but the fact they won it was not.
Clean sheets win prizes
Remarkably, since Palace conceded a goal against Southampton in the third round of the FA Cup, the club haven't conceded one in all the rounds that have followed. Compare that to the porous way in which Palace have played in the League in 2016, and you realise why the squad are toiling as much as they are.
While Pardew said that he wanted his side to push for a second against Liverpool like they did against Reading, shutting up shop against a highly capable Liverpool side would have been far more sensible a tactic. Palace have struggled with that attitude this season - rather than go for the win by going a little more defensive once in the lead, Palace have gone for the jugular and have all-too-often and have suffered the consequences. The Sunderland game was another prime example - substitutions that should have allowed Palace to see out the result were instead like-for-like ones which left gaps where there shouldn't have been any.
Pardew is a manager who seeks solace in being a maverick - by always looking for more goals - but some entertainment can come from being a little more defensively minded. We've had four enjoyable FA Cup games so far, thanks in part to that defensive resilience, let's try and work on that in the league and see how it goes.
Soft penalties are a Palace problem, too
If you want a talking-point from last night's game, the way in which Yannick Bolasie won the penalty is it. The Palace winger ran into the penalty area with the intention of latching on to a header, only for there to be slight contact with Reading defender Jake Cooper and for Bolasie to go down. Mike Dean saw it and immediately gave it.
The aftermath has seen a lot of comparison with Christian Benteke's penalty last weekend, with some of Pardew's critics in the media taking umbrage to his refusal to comment on Bolasie's penalty having been so vociferous when Benteke tumbled in the box. The issue here is about interpretation of the law. There seems to be a trend now that, contact in the area, no matter how slight, constitutes a foul. If that is how we should interpret the law, then both Benteke and Bolasie were entitled to make the most of those fouls. However, my interpretation differs from that - I believe that the contact should be enough to genuinely impede - that if a player can stay on his feet, he should do.
I ask this also - would Yannick Bolasie have fallen to the floor like he did had he not seen how Benteke profited from it on Sunday? I'm not sure. The additional context in that we've seen Wilfried Zaha fouled on numerous occasions in the penalty area, only for referees to dismiss all but a few of these decisions. The standard retort is that Zaha has a reputation for diving. Perhaps he should have a reputation for being brilliantly evasive, instead?
Whatever the case, the penalty was soft - but the counter argument is that Cooper shouldn't have stuck his arm out in front of Bolasie. Just as Damien Delaney probably shouldn't have slid in to make a challenge so late in the game.
Cabaye excelled against cynicism-free competitors
There was a calmness to Palace's midfield yesterday, with Yohan Cabaye the conductor, gently swinging and swaying to allow Palace to play to a winning tune. The Frenchman had some outstanding statistics - he had the most touches (79), the most interceptions (9), the most shots on target (3), the most chances created (3) and was Palace's lead tackler (3) [thanks to Palace's social media wiz @samuelpjordan for these stats!] - a performance that warranted him being touted as our man of the match.
Key to some of this performance was the lack of cynicism on Reading's part. Perhaps they should have been more aggressive in targeting Cabaye. A trend we've seen all too much recently in the league is that our midfield talisman has been targeted for rotational fouling - squads being instructed to each take turns to foul a player, often meaning that a side will give a player rough treatment while dissipating the risk of getting a red card - throughout matches. He's been kicked all over the pitch by opposition attackers, midfielders and defenders, and more should be done to ensure that the tactic of rotational fouling is punished.
Cabaye finished the game for the Eagles - a rare sight in recent weeks - and did so while producing a match-winning performance.
This goalkeeper conundrum will last all season
I feel a little sorry for Alex McCarthy, Wayne Hennessey and Julian Speroni. The difficulty we currently have in the goalkeeping department is one of tension, and fear. McCarthy started the season tentatively, made a few errors and was dropped. Hennessey took his place, started well but has since made a few costly errors and has shown a nervousness in dealing with some of the simpler elements of the game. Speroni, who has watched on and always been a diligent and respectful servant to the club, has inexplicably not been given an opportunity yet. All of this points to a crunch time coming in the summer. Pardew will need to make a decision about just who is his first-choice goalkeeper - and if it is one of the three, he will need to make that clear.
Hennessey made a few decent stops during the match yesterday. There will however be a focus on the errors - the spill which almost allowed Ola John to score in the first half and the flapped attempt at a catch which Mike Dean deemed to be a foul on him. Both of these incidents were indicative of a player nervous about making mistakes - we saw Hennessey do a far better job of those catches earlier in the season, so he's clearly capable of collecting crosses. But there is something that seems to be nagging him - a self-doubt or a fear of failure - which plays on his mind whenever these kind of decisions need to be made. That nervousness will also play a part on the defenders in front of him - it can be catching.
If Palace are to persist with Hennessey beyond this season, work will need to be done to ensure that that nervousness is eradicated. Otherwise, we might need to see another number 1 arrive to take his place.