Mark McGhee referred after Saturday's promising opening at Derby to the search for consistency which are bound to accompany Albion's Championship challenge.

If the performance at Pride Park was the up side, this was most definitely the downside.

McGhee questioned his team's self belief and mental fortitude as goals in each half by Glen Little, his first for two seasons, and Dave Kitson made it a happy homecoming for former Albion boss Steve Coppell.

It was comfortable enough for the visitors, although Albion retained hope of a result until Kitson's clincher midway through the second period.

The Seagulls also kicked off their home campaign 12 months ago with a 2-0 defeat against Plymouth.

At least they have a point more to show for their efforts at the corresponding stage this time.

Reading, frequently there or there abouts in the promotion race, showed the benefits of a settled side which has been together for some time.

Albion, by contrast, often looked like a group of individuals rather than a well-oiled unit. They will take time to gel with so many new faces.

Anxious There were a couple of anxious moments early on for the new-look Albion defence which performed so creditably in the draw at Derby on Saturday.

Wayne Henderson, having advanced several yards off his line, failed to deal with a free-kick from Nicky Shorey which was eventually scrambled clear.

Kitson, back in Reading's starting line-up after injury restricted him to the bench in the opening home defeat by Plymouth, just failed to apply the finishing touch to a low cross from Steve Sidwell.

Reading duly made the breakthrough in the 15th minute, courtesy of a wicked free-kick from Little.

The winger bent the ball into the packed Albion area from 35 yards. It evaded everybody, although Ibrahima Sonko tried to claim a touch, and beat Henderson into his left hand corner.

Little deserved credit for the delivery. It was one of those nightmare situations for Henderson, with Sonko and several other players from both sides running across the on-loan Aston Villa youngster's line of vision.

The Seagulls struggled to rediscover the cohesion they showed in the opening half-hour at Pride Park three days previously.

There were moments of encouragement, notably when Leon Knight's cross from the left narrowly eluded the head of Kerry Mayo deep inside the visitors' box.

Colin Kazim-Richards, so eager to make an impact on his first appearance at Withdean, had a vicious cross from Paul Reid's short pass palmed over the crossbar by Marcus Hahnemann.

Albion's new young striker also headed just wide at the far post from another cross by Knight but danger still lurked for Albion at the other end.

Henderson had to stretch to hold a shot on the turn from Leroy Lita, Reading's £1 million summer buy from Bristol City, after the England under-21 international linked up with his partner Kitson.

Henderson did even better when he pushed away a fierce shot from 20 yards by Sidwell, the former Albion loan signing who was given the accolade last season of the best player outside the Premiership.

The half ended with further promise for Albion, with Kazim-Richards a central figure once more.

First he controlled a cross from Mayo to strike a low volley straight at Hahnemann.

Moments afterwards a crossfield pass by Kazim-Richards picked out Reid for a venomous shot on the run which Hahnemann, Reading's increasingly busy American custodian, dived to turn for a corner.

The crowd were roused at the start of the second half as Albion continued to suggest they were capable of dragging themselves back into the game.

They pressed for an equaliser which almost arrived when Charlie Oatway's side-footer from the edge of the area took a severe deflection off Graeme Murty and went narrowly wide with Hahnemann wrong footed.

Federico Turienzo, Albion's new Argentinian target man, was given his first taste of English football as a 61st minute replacement for Jason Dodd.

Turienzo replaced Gary Hart on the bench, having recovered from the calf injury which ruled him out at Derby.

It was a bold substitution but, unfortunately for the Seagulls, their deficit doubled two minutes later.

Kitson, finally escaping the intentions of Paul McShane, met Shorey's cross from the left with a powerful header from close range which Henderson got both hands to but could not prevent from crossing the line.

Falling further behind in a period when they were threatening to restore parity knocked the stuffing out of Albion.

Lita, having already opened his account against Plymouth, should have stretched Reading's advantage when he headed wide from a cross by substitute John Oster.

The Seagulls finished with a strike force of Turienzo and young Jake Robinson. Turienzo and Dean Hammond had shots tipped over by Hahnemann in the dying stages, but it was too little too late on a night when Little initiated Albion's downfall.