Reading’s hopes of reaching the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 83 years were destroyed as Aston Villa grabbed three second-half goals in 10 devastating minutes.

Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long headed Royals into a shock lead at a packed Madejski Stadium after a well-worked Gylfi Sigurdsson corner was flicked onto him at the back post by centre-back Matt Mills.

Long, back in the side after a four-game ban for his red card in the last round, then tapped in his second and sixth in his last six outings after good work from Jimmy Kebe down the right flank.

Villa were right back in the tie after just two minutes of the second-half when England international Ashley Young tapped in from close-range as the Villa fightback begun.

Hat-trick hero John Carew pulled the visitors and seven-times cup winners level with a header past Adam Federici just four minutes later in the 51st minute.

The Norwegian targetman then broke Reading’s hearts as he beat Ivar Ingimarsson to the ball inside the penalty box, latching onto Stephen Warnock’s cross and firing Villa into the lead in the 57th minute.

Royals were stunned by the Villans’ clinical finishing as they looked a completely different side to the one that shipped two goals in the first half in which both sides also scored a disallowed goal.

Brian McDermott brought Mills back into the side for cup-tied defender Zurab Khizanishvili and the 23-year-old put in a commanding display in the heart of defence.

The former chief scout also recalled Long in place of Grzegorz Rasiak who would have felt hard done by after scoring two as Royals beat Sheffield Wednesday 5-0 the week before.

Rasiak himself went close to grabbing an equaliser with his first touch as he came on for Simon Church, but USA international Brad Friedel just managed to take the sting out of his goal-bound volley.

Friedel also has Young to thank for saving an Ingimarsson header off the line as Reading tried their best to send the tie for a replay.

But all their efforts were in vain as Ingimarsson tripped Carew in the box in the 92nd minute to gift the striker his hat-trick from the penalty spot as Martin O’Neill won his first game in March in charge of Villa.

Their cup dream may be over, but Royals can still take heart from their impressive giant-killing run that has seen them beat Liverpool, Burnley and West Brom and helped transform their Championship season.

Royals dared to dream, but now their sole focus will be on the league where they resume normal service against Derby County on Wednesday at Madejski Stadium (8pm kick-off).

Reading (4-4-2): Federici, Griffin, Mills, Ingimarsson (c), Bertrand, Tabb, Howard (Gunnarsson, 59), Kebe, Sigurdsson, Church (Rasiak, 71), Long.

Subs not used: Hamer, Matejovsky, Henry, Robson-Kanu, Pearce.

Aston Villa (4-4-2): Friedel, Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Petrov (c), Milner, Young, Down-ing (Sidwell, 92), Heskey, Carew.

Subs not used: Guzan, Young, Sidwell, Albrighton, Delfouneso, Delph, Beye.

Attendance: 23,175 (Villa: 4,230)

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirrall)

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