Andriya Novakovich’s second half penalty at Whitley Park on Monday afternoon was enough to send the Royals through the last four as United missed out on the chance to progress.

And the Magpies legend told nufc.co.uk that while it felt like an opportunity missed, he could have few complaints with the outcome as his youngsters bowed out of the competition.

“The best team won, and we can’t argue with that,” said Beardsley. “They deserved to win, and if I’m being totally honest, possibly by another goal or two.

“We had one or two chances, but they weren’t real chances. A lot of it was scrappy play. I wouldn’t say there was any period of the game where we were really in control of it. I thought they played well, managed it well and thoroughly deserved the win.

“I’m honest enough, realistic enough, to say Reading deserved it, 100 per cent. I’d be kidding myself if I said we deserved it – we didn’t. To be fair to them, they managed the game well, put us under pressure at the back, and caused us a few problems.”

He added: “We were two games from the final, but we can’t argue. They played the better football, and they looked the more dangerous.

“You go into it and you think you’re prepared and you think you’ve got everything covered, but fair play to them. They played well. Although I’m disappointed, I’ve got no complaints.”

Centre back Curtis Good – one of the Magpies’ outstanding players this season – was replaced shortly after the break in the defeat to the Royals, with Michael Newberry brought on to replace him.

Beardsley said he was disappointed to have lost the services of one of his key men not long before Reading’s winner, but hopes that the injury suffered by the Australian won’t be one that will keep him out for long.

“Losing Curtis early on in the second half was a big blow to us, and hopefully it’s something minor,” he said. “That, for me, is the big disappointment of the game really. It would have been nice to win, but losing someone like Curtis is probably the biggest disappointment.

“He’s been injury-free for a while now, and has been outstanding for a while, so it’s disappointing for him. Hopefully it’s something minor.”