Man City, Stoke through to semis

LONDON (AP):

Manchester City set up an FA Cup semi-final against fierce rivals Manchester United, thanks to Micah Richards' second-half winner in a 1-0 victory over Reading yesterday.

The England defender met a 74th-minute corner by David Silva with a powerful header, to end the stubborn resistance of the second-tier visitors and put City into the last four of the competition for the first time since 1981.

United lie in wait for Roberto Mancini's side at Wembley on the weekend of April 16-17, following the English Premier League leader's 2-0 victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford on Saturday.

"It was very difficult - as the game went on, it got harder," Richards said. "Reading did well, they defended well. Fortunately, the header went in."

In yesterday's other quarter-final, Danny Higginbotham's 68th-minute free-kick earned Stoke a 2-1 win over in-form Premier League rivals West Ham.

Stoke - through to a first FA Cup semi in 39 years - will next play Bolton, a 3-2 winner over Birmingham on Saturday.

It will be the first semi-final between Manchester's two biggest clubs since 1926, when City won 3-0. The Blues went on to lose the final to Bolton.

"There is no easy way to the final - we are happy to play United, we are looking forward to it," City centre back, Vincent Kompany, said.

City, who are bidding to end a 35-year trophy drought, lost to United in last season's League Cup semi-finals, but Mancini has strengthened his squad considerably since then.

One of the summer signings, Silva, was City's most dangerous player once again and set up Shaun Wright-Phillips and Yaya Toure for chances in the first half. The Spain midfielder also had a decent effort kept out by Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

Silva was the provider for Richards' goal, the right back rising to thunder a header beyond the flailing McCarthy before City closed out the match.

CONTROVERSIAL EQUALISER

Stoke's players put to the back of their minds a controversial equaliser by West Ham striker Frederic Piquionne to claim a deserved victory at the Britannia Stadium.

Robert Huth's 12th-minute opener was cancelled out when Piquionne appeared to control a pass from Thomas Hitzlsperger with his arm before slotting home a finish on the half-hour mark.

"From where I was standing, it looked a stone-banker handball," Stoke manager Tony Pulis said. "We were very good for 25 minutes and then when they get their first shot on goal from that, it was disappointing."

Stoke midfielder Matthew Etherington missed a penalty against his former club, but Higginbotham spared his teammate's blushes by firing in a low free-kick, that West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green could only palm on to the post and into the back of the net.

"I think it is being disrespectful to Bolton to say it is the draw we wanted. We just wanted to win today," Pulis added, looking ahead to the semi-final.

"We will treat them with total respect. If you look at Bolton and their history, they have been a Premier League side a lot longer than us and have established Premier League players. We will respect them and we know it will be a tough game for us."

West Ham also missed out on a Wembley appearance in this season's League Cup when the team lost to eventual winner Birmingham in the semi-finals of England's second cup competition.

FA CUP QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW

BIRMINGHAM CITY 2 BOLTON WANDERERS 3

GOALS: BIRMINGHAM - JEROME 38th; PHILLIPS 80th. BOLTON - ELMANDER 21st; K DAVIES 66th; LEE 90th

Lee Chung-Yong struck the winner as Bolton overcame a battling Birmingham to reach the FA Cup semi-finals. Johan Elmander powered in a shot to put the visitors ahead before Cameron Jerome equalised with a half-volley. Kevin Davies restored Bolton's lead when he struck from the spot after he was fouled by Curtis Davies. A dipping shot from Kevin Phillips, who also hit the post, levelled matters before Lee nodded in from close range to settle a pulsating game. The victory puts the Trotters in the last four of the FA Cup for the first time in 11 years, but they were pushed all the way by Birmingham, despite the home side's woes.

MANCHESTER UNITED 2 ARSENAL 0

GOALS: UNITED - FABIO 28th; ROONEY 49th.

Manchester United piled on the agony for Arsene Wenger as Arsenal's rapidly deteriorating season took another blow with defeat in the FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford. Fabio da Silva and Wayne Rooney struck in each half to take Manchester United to Wembley with a victory that sent Arsenal crashing out of a third major competition inside a fortnight. United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, who rounded defiantly on his critics in his programme notes, demanded a response from United after Premier League defeats at Chelsea and Liverpool.