Mark Pearn was left to rue a missed opportunity as East Grinstead failed to prevent Reading from being crowned National League champions.

Grinstead lost 2-1 in their top of the table clash which confirmed Reading as winners for a second successive year.

Player-coach Pearn was pleased with how his side played in the second half but disappointed that they could not take anything from the game.

He said: "Our aim at the start of the season was to qualify for Europe and that is still in our hands.

"However, you get very limited chances to play first against second in the league and we missed our chance to step up to play at that level.

"We knew if we won Reading would still be odds-on to win the league but we wanted to take it to the second to last week or even the last week."

Grinstead were disappointing in the first half when they trailed to a 12th-minute goal from Andy Watts.

A much improved second-half display brought an equaliser 16 minutes from time when Dave De Prez set up fellow forward Danny Hall for his 19th league goal of the campaign but Reading hit back almost immediately through Simon Lanyon and held on for a 2-1 win.

Former Great Britain international Pearn added: "We were pretty poor in the first half and didn't play like we have for the last couple of weeks.

"We played a lot better in the second half when the intensity was up and we should have taken at least a point from the game."

While a top finish should be enough for European qualification for next season, finishing second will guarantee it and Grinstead were helped by third-placed Cannock going down 4-3 at home to Bowdon.

They now have two games left, at home to Canterbury and away to Beeston. Cannock complete their campaign at home to Surbiton and away to Loughborough Students.