West Ham United 2 (Collison 29, Sonko og 40)
Reading 1 (Kitson 90+2)

Reading's reserves suffered a defeat at West Ham which gave their league title hopes a dent.

A first half strike from Jack Collison and then a misjudged backpass from Ibrahima Sonko gave the Hammers a 2-0 lead at the interval. Dave Kitson netted a close range consolation in the second minute of injury time.

Brian McDermott fielded a strong line-up, with the likes of Dave Kitson, Emerse Fae, Kalifa Cisse and Ibrahima Sonko all in action. But they were unable to make an impression on the scoreline for much of the game, despite creating a few good chances.

James Henry made a substitutes appearance in the second half, replacing Fae, who completed 74 minutes in his recovery from a bout of malaria. Full video highlights will be on Reading World later this week.

West Ham United: Street; Spence, Widdowson, Tomkins, N'Gala; Stokes (Hales 67), Collison, Stanislas (Payne 78), Reid; Hines, Boa Morte
Subs: Miller, Harvey, Edgar
Yellow: Widdowson

Reading: Federici; De La Cruz, Golbourne, Sonko, Duberry; Cisse (Sigurdsson 85), Karacan, Fae (Henry 74), Kebe, Convey; Kitson
Subs: McCarthy, Bozanic, Brown
Yellow: Duberry

First half
An interesting line-up from Brian McDermott, as Dave Kitson plays as a lone striker with Bobby Convey playing a supporting role from just in front of the midfield. Emerse Fae, Kalifa Cisse and Jem Karacan make up a strong midfield, with Jimmy Kebe on the right.

And with so many fringe first teamers in the side - Ibrahima Sonko and Michael Duberry were also on show - manager Steve Coppell was in the watching crowd at Bishop's Stortford.

On two minutes Bobby Convey does well down the left channel, sending a good cross which Kebe just fails to latch onto at back post.

On six minutes Ibrahima Sonko shows his strength to muscle Luis Boa-Morte off the ball after the former Fulham man shows his pace and trickery on the edge of the Reading penalty area.

West Ham midfielder Tony Stokes was not far away with a shot from 20 yards on six minutes, the effort just high and wide of Adam Federici's left hand upright.

Two minutes later the Royals attacked down the left and Kitson looked to have found Convey in the middle with a well-timed centre, but Hammers defender Bondz N'Gala did well to turn it behind.

On 14 minutes the Hammers had to defend brightly when Kebe did well to get past his man on the right and exchange passes with Convey. He laid on Kitson who saw his shot blocked, as did Karacan on the follow-up.

One minute later the hosts had a wonderful chance to break the deadlock. Joe Widdowson got down the left and supplied a great cross for Boa Morte, who stole in behind Michael Duberry but steered his rising shot over the crossbar from less than four yards out.

Despite that chance it was Reading who looked the more dangerous, and they again went close on 20 minutes when Kitson got ahead of his marker to head Convey's free-kick wide of the near post.

A fright for Reading on 22 minutes as Kitson is grounded by a foul from behind by Widdowson, who earns a booking. Relief come as Kitson picks himself up to carry on after a quick check from the physio.

West Ham took the lead on 29 minutes when Jack Collison found space inside the box and turned a neat right footed finish past Federici's dive after good build-up play involving Boa Morte.

Seconds later the Royals were close to levelling when Convey swung in another dangerous free-kick which Sonko nearly connected with a glancing header which would almost certainly have found the net.

Federici nearly gifted the home side a second goal on 38 minutes when he took two long over a simple clearance. He was closed down by Zavon Hines, whose block on the keeper's kick bounced wide of the target.

But the Aussie made up for that one minute later with a good save from Junior Stanislas, who tricked his way inside before blasting a good right footer at goal from 10 yards.

It was 2-0 to the Hammers on 40 minutes when Sonko closed down a wayward long ball, but under pressure from Hines, put too much power on a misplaced backpass which beat his own keeper and dribbled into the bottom corner of the goal.

Kalifa Cisse had a chance to reduce the deficit on 44 minutes as he met Convey's corner with a right footer, but the effort was deflected wide.

Second half
West Ham came out in a confident manner after the break looking to continue to take the game to their visitors. On 48 minutes Sonko had to time a tackle to perfection inside the penalty area to deny Hines a shooting opportunity.

Michael Duberry then picked up a booking on 50 minutes after going in hard on Hines.

At the other end Kebe cut inside and fired a left footed rising drive over the bar on 55 minutes.

More good work from Convey down the left flank on 61 minutes but his cross is blocked by Jordan Spence. And on the right one minute later Ulises De La Cruz overlaps Fae, but his cross is also cut out as the Hammers continue to defend strongly.

Hammers keeper Adam Street made a good save from Convey on 65 minutes, and then the keeper did well to hold onto Karacan's corner seconds later.

Cisse had an effort saved by Street on 70 minutes as the home side continued to defy the Royals pressure.

Reading substitution on 74 minutes as James Henry, recently called back from his loan spell at Norwich City, replaces Fae in the midfield.

Kitson gets a chance inside the box on 80 minutes as he latches onto Karacan's knockdown header. But he is muscled off the ball at the vital moment by Hammers defender Jordan Spence and the chance is missed.

Another Reading change on 85 minutes as Cisse comes off for Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Hines went close to registering a third goal for the visitors on 88 minutes as he drove across the face from a very tight angle.

Henry's injury-time corner is headed back across goal by Duberry, and Kitson heads over from close range.

And Kitson knocked home from less than a yard out after a good centre from Sigurdsson in the second minute of injury time.

The effort was to prove too late as the final whistle goes just a minute later.

Full video highlights will be on Reading World later this week.