Albion will be hoping for better luck than the Reserves had against Reading at Woodside Road last night.

The Royals pilfered a 1-0 victory against the run of play in the Avon Insurance Combination clash.

Dean White's Seagulls dominated, particularly in the first half, but they could not find a way past Reading custodian Jamie Ashdown.

Young midfielder Dean Hammond was especially unfortunate not to get on the score sheet.

He had an early shot cleared off the line by Alex Smith before Ashdown produced a double save from a Shaun Wilkinson corner.

The keeper blocked Hammond's header and then smothered Paul Kitson's attempt to hook in the loose ball from close range.

Ashdown also kept out a fierce angled drive prior to the break from Daniel Marney, one of six Albion starters out of contract in the summer.

The pattern continued after the interval, as Ashdown got his hands to Kitson's shot-on-the-run from a through pass by the heavily involved Hammond.

Reading snatched the points with a tidy 61st minute finish by midfielder Simieon Howell.

Youth-teamer Dan Beck had been on the pitch a matter of seconds in place of Nathan Jones when Howell latched on to a knock-down to lift the ball over Will Packham from six yards.

Chris McPhee could have restored parity when Kitson squared to him, but the striker's effort was blocked by a defender.

Kitson, continuing his quest for full fitness, was substituted late on by David Lee.

Albion Reserves: Packham; Rogers, Jones, Virgo, Hinshelwood, Hammond, Marney, Wilkinson, Kitson, McPhee, Harding. Subs: Lee for Kitson (withdrawn 83), Beck for Jones (withdrawn 61), Bridle, El-Abd.