If Veljko Paunović has been monitoring Marc McNulty’s exploits with Dundee United, he might want to consider offering him a chance to establish himself at English Championship club Reading.

McNulty’s eye-catching performance and two goals in the Scottish Cup quarter-final demolition of Aberdeen on Sunday, underlined why the Royals paid an undisclosed fee for him almost three years ago as then head coach, Paul Clement, brought him into the fold at Bearwood Park.

But the 28-year-old striker’s career at Reading has yet to take off and now, as he edges towards the final year of his contract, he waits and wonders if his employers will continue to loan him out, as they have done in the last two seasons, to Sunderland, twice to Hibs and now Dundee United.

“I have not spoken to anyone at Reading so far,” he said.  “I will just be waiting for a phone call or an email to let me know when pre-season is.  I will take it from there.”

There is a semi-final for him to focus on for the time being as United bask in the glory of a superb display of football against a ragged, lethargic Dons outfit which new manager Stephen Glass will have to overhaul in the summer break.

“It was brilliant,” said of the win.  “We knew what was at stake because we had been talking about it all week.  It was the perfect day.  We defended well, everybody worked hard, we got a couple of goals and everything just went our way.

“I would agree it was my best performance and the team’s. The gaffer is always on about defending from the front and our midfield three working hard and defending the wide areas.

“The fitness coach said our stats for the boys were through the roof.  

It goes to show if you work hard then you get your rewards.”
With the Dons in the doldrums, it was left to Andrew Considine to offer reasons for their spectacular collapse, devoid of penetration and tempo and unable to combat the movement off and on the ball of their opponents.

The squad, he insisted, still clung to the hope that they might still overtake Hibs to secure third spot in the Premiership.

“I would say we’re stunned,” he admitted following the defeat. “I couldn’t see any result other than us going through. I felt with the new manager coming in, confidence has been high. We’ve played some entertaining football.

“They came at us from the get go. They were clinical with all three chances that they had and I don’t think we really created much at all.

“It felt like a recovery run every time for the back four. It was a tough shift for us, but to be fair to Dundee United, they had relentless energy and they ran us into the ground and we couldn’t handle it.”
And the prospect of a bronze medal finish to the Premiership campaign?

“Third is still massive for us,” Considine said. “There is still an opportunity, having Livingston, Hibs at home, then going to Rangers. I feel we’ve done it the hard way a few times, and if it means we’ve to do it the hard way this year, then so be it.”