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Richards sets up FA Cup showdown with United

Micah Richards was the difference between the sides as Manchester City ended Reading's FA Cup adventure © PA Photos

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Manchester City set up a mouthwatering FA Cup semi-final encounter with neighbours United by defeating Reading 1-0 on Sunday.

With the draw already made prior to kick-off, City knew a Wembley date with their Manchester rivals awaited, but they had to overcome a Reading side that had knocked out Everton in the previous round. Once again the Royals showed they can mix it with top flight opposition at Eastlands, but they were eventually undone at a set-piece by Micah Richards' thumping header.

Roberto Mancini acknowledged the threat of the Championship side prior to kick-off by fielding a strong team including Carlos Tevez, and it was City who created the best first-half chances. Shaun Wright-Phillips and David Silva forced keeper Alex McCarthy into a brilliant double-save, and McCarthy was again alive at his near post to later deny Yaya Toure.

City were far from relentless though, and they had to wait until the second half for their next genuine moment of danger, Jay Tabb clearing off the line after Aleksandar Kolarov's inswinging corner.

Silva was City's most dangerous player and he did everything possible to create an opener moments later, only to see Tevez waste all his good work with a mistimed party flick at the near post. Tevez was having an off-day, and he was guilty of another bad miss moments later when miscuing Wright-Phillips' lay-off right in front of goal.

It was left to Richards to settle the tie, darting to the near post to power a header into the top corner and book City's place at Wembley.

Danny Higginbotham scored the winner for Stoke © PA Photos

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Two set-pieces sealed Stoke's place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 win over West Ham at the Britannia Stadium. Just a week after slumping to a 3-0 defeat at Upton Park in the Premier League, Stoke had their revenge as Danny Higginbotham scored the winner after Frederic Piquionne cancelled out Robert Huth's opener.

The Potters took the lead after 12 minutes with a trademark Stoke move; Huth rising high above the statuesque West Ham defence to head home from a long Rory Delap throw. Stoke enjoyed the lion's share of the possession in the first half, but West Ham levelled in controversial circumstances - Thomas Hitzlsperger clipped the ball over the top of the Stoke defence and Frederic Piquionne controlled the ball with his arm before bundling the ball past Thomas Sorensen.

The furious Potters set about re-establishing their lead, and the Hammers had Robert Green to thank for dealing with another Delap throw-in before scrambling the ball away under pressure from Jon Walters to keep his side in the match. Matthew Etherington won a penalty for Stoke after falling under pressure from Scott Parker, but Green dived low to his left to palm Etherington's spot-kick away.

But another set-piece sealed the Potters' progress when they were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area for a handball, and Higginbotham stepped up and drilled his free-kick underneath the wall, forcing Green to spill against a post as the ball bounced over the line.

West Ham desperately pressed for an equaliser; Matthew Upson rattling the bar from a Hitzlsperger corner, while Carlton Cole's strike was deflected just wide of Sorensen's upright, but Stoke held out to earn their place in the last four of the FA Cup for the first time since 1972.

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