READING City survived a dramatic penalty shoot-out to beat Ardley United 6-5 in the Bluefin Sports Challenge Cup, the sides having earlier drawn 1-1.
Tobias London put the Oxfordshire side in front four minutes before the break, Steve Lee sent off in conceding a penalty.
However, the 10-man Citizens battled bravely and forced a shoot-out after Arthur Furness levelled with a stoppage-time strike.
Ousman Darboe and Adam Cashin-Murray converted Reading's first two penalties, only for Mo Davies to miss the third.
However, gaolkeeper Charlie York made a save to leave it 2-2, and Furness, McKoy Palmer, Matt Stockill and Luis De Pais all scored before another York stop sent the hosts through.
Reading City had less success when they returned to Premier Division action on Monday night, going down 1-0 to an Excellence Muhemba goal at home to Windsor.
The Citizens again had Lee dismissed – this time for two bookings in side the opening 20 minutes – but were able to bring Mitchell Parker off the bench after he rejoined the club from Bracknell Town.
Reading City host Fairford Town on Saturday (3pm) before travelling to Burnham next Tuesday (7.45pm).
Woodley United – who did not have a game last week – travel to Chalfont Sports in the Bluefin Sports Supplementary Cup on Saturday (3pm).
The Kestrels then visit Thame Rangers on Wednesday (7.45pm).
AFC Aldermaston – who have appointed former Tottenham Hotspur star Dave Tuttle as their manager – won an extraordinary game 6-5 at Kidlington Development on Tuesday night.
Having gone behind in the third minute, goals from Monay Mills-Chandler, Jamal Forde-Small and Davelinio Markus had the Atom Men 3-1 up inside a quarter-of-an-hour.
A Ricardo Catlyn own goal reduced the deficit, but Forde-Small's second restored the two-goal advantage on the half-hour mark.
Markus slotted a 38th-minute penalty to make it 5-2, but the hosts again hit back before the break.
The goals continued to fly in early in the second half as Kidlington made it 5-4, only for Mills-Chandler to score on 53 minutes.
And despite an injury-time fifth for the home side, they could not find an equaliser.
AFC Aldermaston are at home to Taplow United in the Bluefin Sports Supplementary Cup on Saturday (3pm).
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