Source: Team_Talk
Alexander out to end poor record
Alexander's penalty at Turf Moor on Saturday gives Owen Coyle's men a slender 1-0 advantage going into the clash at the Madejski Stadium but the former Scotland international remains cautious.
The 37-year-old has been a losing semi-finalist in three of his previous six play-off appearances and believes there is all still to play for as he hopes for a showdown with Sheffield United in the final at Wembley.
He said: "This is my seventh play-off and I've not been fortunate in the past.
"Hopefully I can put that right personally, but there are lots of lads in there that want to do it for their own reasons. Everyone's in the same boat and wants to get to Wembley and see it through to the Premier League.
"But there was absolutely no celebrating when the final whistle went on Saturday.
"There was nothing in the changing room or anything, we're just recovering for the second leg and getting ready for that.
"No-one's talking about Wembley, we've got our minds fixed on the second leg because there's a lot of experience in there and we know nothing's sorted in the first leg, no matter what the score. We've got a lot of work to do down there.
"It's nice to have an advantage, definitely. But we'd have had the same amount of work to do if we'd have gone down there 0-0."
Reading manager Steve Coppell believes his side have "a mountain to climb" if they are to go through.
Ordinarily Coppell's side would be well placed to progress but they have not won at home since they beat champions Wolves on January 27 - a run of eight games which has already derailed one route to promotion to the Premier League and could now end another.
Coppell said: "In a normal season I'd say it's delicately poised but given our recent home form we have a hell of a mountain to climb.
"I'm not going to pretend otherwise.
"We know we've got a job to do and that we've got to do things a little bit differently on Tuesday.
"We've just got to try and win. We can't do anything other than go flat out, try and win the game and see what happens.
"It's all to play for though. Burnley once again showed their resilience in the first leg, they are a hard-working side and they stuck in there.
"But we know we've got a job to do which is to get a victory at home."
