United hold off resurgent Royals to reach FA Cup quarter-finals

Manchester United's Argentinian defender Gabriel Heinze celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Reading during their Premiership match at home to Reading at the Madjeski Stadium. Manchester won 3-2.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to rest several first team players was justified as the Premiership challengers narrowly edged past Reading 3-2 to earn themselves a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Mindful of his side's next two fixtures against Liverpool in the Premiership and Lille in the Champion's League, the Manchester United boss rested eight players from the side that narrowly won 2-1 at Fulham on the weekend including Wayne Rooney and Christiano Ronaldo.

The absence of his two superstars initially proved irrelevant as United blitzed Reading with three goals in the first six minutes only to sit back on their lead and allow the home side to claw their way back into the contest setting up a nervy final five minutes for the Premiership leaders.

Reading boss Steve Coppell began the game with an aggressive looking forward line of three including Irish international Kevin Doyle, making his first start in over a month after overcoming a hamstring injury.

With just a minute gone the Royals boss was considering a rethink as Gabriel Heinze put United into the lead inside two minutes.

Manchester United's Norwegian striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (L) is congratulated by French teammate striker Louis Saha after he scored the third goal of the match during the Premiership match against Reading, at home to Reading at the Madjeski Stadium. Manchester won 3-2.

John O'Shea's purposeful run past Steve Sidwell intended to set up Keiron Richardson but Ulises de la Cruz blocked, with the clearance only going as far as Heinze waiting on the edge of the penalty area who lashed his effort straight at Adam Federici but the ball squirmed under the Australian goalkeeper.

Minutes later and the lead was doubled when Louis Saha shrugged off the attentions of Andre Bikey who allowed the Frenchman far too much time and space to control Rio Ferdinand's 60-yard pass and finish impressively from a tight angle.

Things continued to get worse for a Reading side, looking a pale shadow of the team who have taken the Premiership by surprise this season leaping to sixth in the table, as United added a third.

Their defence was caught not so much sleeping as comatose when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was put through by Saha, who by now was enjoying the freedom of Berkshire, and the Norwegian slotted coolly past an almost disbelieving Federici.

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney (L) vies with Reading's Andre Bikey (R) during their Premiership match, at Madjeski Stadium in Reading. Manchester won 3-2.

The three goals sparked Reading into life and they gave themselves a spirited chance when Ivar Ingimarsson headed a John Oster corner into Dave Kitson who nodded home at the far post.

With their lead cut United then retreated further and further into their shells allowing a rejuvenated Reading to take the game to them and even though the second half struggled to match the spellbinding opening of the first the number of passes by red shirted players that were going astray gave the home side increased initiative.

Substitute Glen Little's cross had Leroy Lita in its sights on 78 minutes only for Wes Brown to pull off a fantastic defensive header to deny the England under-21 international at the far post.

The introduction of Rooney was Ferguson's attempt to kill off the game but Reading continued to press forward with intent and when Sidwell bundled his way into the penalty area to set up Kitson, Van der Sar was called upon to pull off a dramatic save.

The Royals finally had their goal when de le Cruz found Lita who stretched back largely unchallenged to head past the United keeper and despite Brynjar Gunnarsson crashing an effort against the crossbar in the final seconds Ferguson was able to relax and turn his attentions to Anfield on Saturday.