Graham Alexander sent Turf Moor wild with a 84th-minute winner from the penalty spot to give his side a precious advantage.

The veteran Scot, 37, has proved a key figure for the Clarets during their marathon campaign and registered his 11th goal of the season after Andre Bikey had pulled back substitute Steve Thompson.

Bikey was booked for his indiscretion but was shown a straight red card in the closing stages after kicking out at Robbie Blake and throwing his shirt to the ground in disgust as he walked off the field.

Owen Coyle's men have enjoyed a thrilling campaign which has seen them dump Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal out of the Carling Cup and come close to overcoming Tottenham in an epic semi-final encounter.

Yet they struggled to make any impression on Steve Coppell's side for the majority of this game until Alexander's late intervention, and Tuesday's decisive second leg at the Madejski Stadium remains finely poised.

Reading should have forced home their first-half dominance as Clarets goalkeeper Brian Jensen denied Jay Tabb, Marek Matejovsky and Bikey while Martin Paterson hacked Kevin Doyle's header off the line.

Burnley midfielder Joey Gudjonsson and Doyle were both substituted in the first half after succumbing to injury and must now be rated as doubtful for Tuesday's clash.

Burnley sorely missed the natural width of injured winger Wade Elliott, but they forced a corner inside the opening minute after Marcus Hahnemann fumbled a deep free-kick from Blake.

Royals defender Michael Duberry was then fortunate to escape a booking after clattering Gudjonsson in the eighth minute in a challenge which saw the Burnley midfielder eventually depart the action in the 21st minute.

He was replaced by Kevin McDonald and Blake found the space to rifle a low shot wide from 20 yards moments later.

McDonald then had a shot deflected wide but Reading's goal threat was increasingly evident and in the 24th minute a deep cross from Leroy Rosenior found Doyle at the far post.

His lay-off found Tabb who struck a fierce shot which Jensen repelled before doing likewise to Matejovsky's follow-up effort.

Ten minutes before the break Bikey powered a header goalwards from a corner but Jensen's excellent reflex denied him and Doyle's follow-up header was hacked off the line by Paterson.

Jimmy Kebe then fired over from 20 yards in the 38th minute before Reading lost Doyle to injury to be replaced by Dave Kitson.

Paterson was left to plough a lone furrow up front but he collected possession in the 52nd minute and drove a shot goalwards from 20 yards.

Hahnemann made a relatively comfortable save but sadly it was not a sign of things to come as Burnley's frustrations begin to mount.

The ineffective Chris Eagles was replaced by Thompson in the 58th minute but he made little impact, and after Chris McCann went close from close range, Reading almost snatched a goal when Carlisle slipped and Kebe raced clear before Caldwell made a crucial block.

The pendulum swing in Burnley's favour with six minutes remaining when Bikey pulled back Thompson inside the penalty box and Alexander rifled home emphatically from 12 yards.

Bikey was booked for the foul and then given his marching orders for his dreadful challenge on Blake in the closing minutes.