FA Cup semi-finalists Reading still have lingering relegation worries in the Championship after they threw away a 1-0 lead to draw 1-1 with Cardiff at the Madejski Stadium . Reading took the lead with only four minutes gone when Pavel Pogrebnyak got a touch to Garath McCleary 's nod-down to divert the ball past Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall . But they allowed a mediocre Cardiff side to snatch a point in the 90th minute when Conor McAleny rifled in a shot from Aron Gunnarsson 's precise pass . Cardiff 's Conor McAleny ( left ) celebrates after scoring a late equaliser against Reading . Reading : Federici , Gunter , Pearce , Hector , Obita , McCleary ( Norwood 74 ' ) , Ake , Akpan , Robson-Kanu ( Blackman 85 ' ) , Mackie ( Appiah 68 ' ) , Pogrebnyak . Subs not used : Yakubu , Karacan , Knight , Andersen . Goals : Pogrebnyak 4 ' Cardiff : Marshall , Peltier ( Malone 84 ' ) , Ecuele Manga , Morrison , Da Silva , Noone , Whittingham , Gunnarsson , Ralls ( Kennedy 65 ' ) , Doyle ( Mason 65 ' ) , McAleny . Subs not used : Adeyemi , O'Keefe , Moore , Gabbidon . Goals : McAleny 90 ' Referee : Scott Duncan . Attendance : 17,953 . Reading face Arsenal in their last-four clash at Wembley on April 18 . On their previous semi-final appearance , in 1927 , they lost 3-0 to eventual winners Cardiff at Molineux . As Reading 's cup displays have been impressive , though , their league form has been patchy . They had won only two of their previous nine Championship matches , losing six of them . Cardiff 's season has been one of inconsistency , too , but they arrived at the Madejski Stadium on an unbeaten run of three matches . They were also undefeated on their travels for five games , winning their past three . Reading made the early running and were rewarded in only the fourth minute when they went ahead . Jordan Obita crossed from the left , McCleary nodded it forward and Pogrebnyak guided it past Marshall for his third goal in two matches . Cardiff , beaten 2-1 at home by Reading in the cup fourth round in January , replied quickly . McAleny tried a snapshot from the edge of the Reading area but his effort was half-blocked and goalkeeper Adam Federici gathered comfortably . Reading could have stretched their lead when captain Alex Pearce rose to meet a McCleary corner but fellow centre-back Michael Hector got there before him and glanced his header wide . Cardiff tried hard to get back into the game but had little joy . Fabio cut in from the left flank but his powerful strike was blocked by Pearce at the near post , and Peter Whittingham 's dangerous free-kick was neatly caught by Federici . Pavel Pogrebnyak celebrates scoring for Reading against Cardiff . Reading continued to assert control after the break , with Chelsea loanee Nathan Ake impressing on his debut in midfield . Most of Reading 's best creative moves were channelled through him . Cardiff relied on the swift counter-attack , with Joe Ralls almost setting free McAleny . But his final pass carried too much pace and , with McAleny unable to retrieve it , the chance went begging . An opportunity also went astray at the other end , when Bruno Ecuele-Manga 's poor pass was intercepted by McCleary but the Reading winger hesitated too long before firing a shot wide of Marshall 's far post . Cardiff responded with a low shot from Craig Noone , which Federici did well to save , and a header from Ecuele-Manga from another Whittingham free-kick , which drifted wide . Reading went much closer in the closing stages . Substitute Kwesi Appiah , on debut on loan from Crystal Palace , forced a fine stop from Marshall and Hector nodded a McCleary corner into the ground and up against the crossbar . But Cardiff grabbed a draw right at the end from McAleny 's fine finish from the edge of the home area .
Pavel Pogrebnyak scores stoppage time equaliser for Cardiff . Conor McAleny had put Reading in front after four minutes .