Match ends, Reading 4, Walsall 0.
ReadingReading4WalsallWalsall0
Reading are in the fifth round of the FA Cup for the fifth time in seven years after easily beating Walsall.
The Championship side led when Hal Robson-Kanu rolled his marker to fire a powerful shot into the roof of the net.
The lead was doubled within four minutes, Matej Vydra bundling in Stephen Quinn's cross from close range.
Romaine Sawyers and Oliver Norwood hit the bar for each side after the break before Danny Williams ran clear to finish and Vydra headed a fourth.
Reading - beaten by winners Arsenal at the semi-final stage last season - survived an early scare when Tom Bradshaw had a shot deflected just wide for the visitors.
But their superior quality told against their League One opponents, with Williams impressively crafting space for Quinn to create the second four minutes before the break.
Brian McDermott's side - 15th in the Championship - have just two league wins from 11 matches and will take a welcome boost in confidence ahead of Tuesday's trip to Ipswich.
Walsall kept an unchanged side for the trip to the Madejski despite being third in their division and with a trip to Doncaster on Tuesday.
Sawyers' strike against the bar was a moment where they could have kept the tie alive, but while they had much of the possession, it was the home side who created the more telling openings and they deserved their place in Sunday's draw.
Meanwhile, Saddlers goalkeeper Neil Etheridge was stretchered off on 78 minutes, with what appeared at first to be a serious knee injury, to be replaced by his deputy Craig MacGillivray.
But Walsall head coach Sean O'Driscoll's initial post-match assessment was that the injury is a cut knee, and although he is now a doubt for Tuesday night's trip to Doncaster, it is not as bad as first feared.
Walsall head coach Sean O'Driscoll told BBC WM 95.6:
"We said before the game that this would be our most difficult game just because they're really functional. They put pressure on our back line and it was just a case of when to play and when not to play.
"We got caught a couple of times and as the game progressed we realised we couldn't overplay in the middle of the park, and when we got the ball forward we were a threat.
"As for Neil Etheridge, I don't think it's anything structural."
Line-ups
Reading
Formation 4-3-3
- 26Al Habsi
- 2Gunter
- 35Cooper
- 15FerdinandBooked at 58minsSubstituted forMcShaneat 68'minutes
- 11Obita
- 6Norwood
- 18TshibolaSubstituted forHectorat 10'minutes
- 23Williams
- 21QuinnSubstituted forJohnat 79'minutes
- 9Robson-Kanu
- 7Vydra
Substitutes
- 1Bond
- 3Taylor
- 5McShane
- 8Hector
- 17Piazon
- 20John
- 31Cox
Walsall
Formation 3-5-1-1
- 1EtheridgeSubstituted forMacGillivrayat 78'minutes
- 3Taylor
- 4O'Connor
- 6Downing
- 2DemetriouBooked at 35mins
- 7ChambersBooked at 59minsSubstituted forCookat 64'minutes
- 8Mantom
- 12Forde
- 14Henry
- 10Sawyers
- 9Bradshaw
Substitutes
- 13MacGillivray
- 15Lalkovic
- 16Preston
- 17Flanagan
- 18Morris
- 21Cook
- 22Kinsella
- Referee:
- Peter Bankes
- Attendance:
- 13,367
Match Stats
Home TeamReadingAway TeamWalsall
- Possession
- Home46%
- Away54%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away5
- Shots on Target
- Home9
- Away1
- Corners
- Home2
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Reading 4, Walsall 0.
Post update
Paul Downing (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Ola John (Reading).
Post update
Corner, Reading. Conceded by Paul Downing.
Post update
Attempt saved. Oliver Norwood (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Post update
Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Andy Taylor (Walsall).
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Attempt saved. Danny Williams (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Goal!
Goal! Reading 4, Walsall 0. Matej Vydra (Reading) header from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Hal Robson-Kanu.
Post update
Ola John (Reading) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Anthony Forde (Walsall).
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Attempt missed. Paul Downing (Walsall) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Post update
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Jordan Obita.
Post update
Attempt missed. Danny Williams (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Post update
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution
Substitution, Reading. Ola John replaces Stephen Quinn.
Substitution
Substitution, Walsall. Craig MacGillivray replaces Neil Etheridge because of an injury.
Post update
Delay in match Neil Etheridge (Walsall) because of an injury.
Goal!
Goal! Reading 3, Walsall 0. Danny Williams (Reading) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal.
