After last week I'm assuming Alan Pardew is putting his team through some intensive training to reintroduce them to that alien object, the goalmouth.

Because, with the exception of a cracking and un-saveable shot from Jamie Cureton, last Friday's performance showed Reading incapable of hitting a barn door, let alone make a halfway successful attempt at getting the ball into the net!

Yet again, the Albion put on a fighting performance of the sort that makes the dreadful prospect of relegation so unbearable.

A performance that left some Reading fans a deal more impressed by the opposition than by their own team's patchy efforts.

Waiting for the Park and Ride after the game, several of their supporters spoke to me about the favourable impression given by the Albion and of their hopes that we would stay in Division One, not least because the sheer determination and commitment of the team deserved rewarding in a way that would finally overcome the dodgy start to our season.

As for the Albion fans, many of us were still stunned by the double shock of seeing Paul Kitson come on to the pitch and then score!

Much wicked amusement had been enjoyed in the stands when he took his tracksuit top off and a chant of "Kitson's Coming On, He's coming On" to the tune of "Three Lions" rang through the ground.

Whether Mr Kitson subsequently retires with post-traumatic shock remains to be seen but his goal certainly had a similar effect on the supporters!

Despite the excellent result and a great evening at this superb stadium my visit to the Madejski was slightly marred by some of the idiots who thought it appropriate to indulge in racist chanting before the game in the away supporters' bar.

Clearly riding on the back of the regrettable events that took place after England's victory over Turkey in Sunderland, these Burberried Neanderthals are a disgrace to the game and shocking ambassadors for Brighton supporters everywhere.

At Reading, with only one steward in attendance to hear their shameful performance, they got away with it although it's hoped that they haven't gone unnoticed and that some sort of retribution eventually follows - even if it is only a warning not to try this trick at Withdean.

I also hope that we aren't seeing a return to the days when racism was a habitual and almost casual occurrence at football matches.

Sadly, there is some evidence that a whole new generation of so-called "hard lads" are ready and willing to behave as badly as possible given the opportunity.

And while the bad boys have constantly fought their pathetic battles at pre-arranged venues, they have at least kept the worst of their anti-social behaviour away from the grounds.

Brighton & Hove Albion has always been able to pride itself on diversity and tolerance amongst its supporters, a reflection as much as anything of the diversity that exists in the city as a whole.

I also know that the club are fiercely intolerant of unacceptable behaviour but the practical difficulties of identifying and excluding specific troublemakers can be rather more of a challenge.

Not least because these thugs are happy to confront any decent supporter who objects to their behaviour and, whilst they are rarely stupid enough to respond to complaints with a direct physical attack, they can make life very difficult for the people forced to sit near them.

Regardless of individual cases, it is this low-level, casual racism that may gradually get to be more of a problem than the well-publicised major incidents and I have genuine concerns about its growth and development.