Izale McLeod was left out of Crawley Town’s line-up as they beat Championship side Reading 1-0 at the Checkatrade.com Stadium tonight.

Last season’s top scorer is believed to be on his way out of the club, with Barnsley and Coventry both being linked with the player who has a year to run on his contract at Crawley.

Substitute Conor Henderson scored the only goal to settle a lively contest.

Manager Mark Yates fielded a number of trialists in his starting line-up including former Cheltenham right-back Durrell Berry and Belgian left-back Bryan Van Den Bogaert, a former Antwerp.

Goalkeeper Callum Preston was also given another chance to shine while Lee Barnard and Roarie Deacon played having signed one-year deals before kick-off.

In a sometimes feisty first half Jimmy Smith and Deacon both tested former Albion loanee Ali Al-Habsi in the Reading goal while at the other end Danny Williams crashed a shot against the underside of the bar after Orlando Sa headed Chris Gunter’s cross back across goal, then Berry sliced an attempted clearance from a corner over his own crossbar.

Former Crawley midfielder Hope Akpan went close for Reading 11 minutes into the second half.

Gwion Edwards, one of seven substitutes introduced simultaneously, had a great chance to break the deadlock on 73 minutes when he ran clean through the middle but Al-Habsi saved at the expense of a corner.

Soon after Henderson linked with Edwards to set up Matt Harrold but the Royals keeper saved at his near post.

It was Henderson who broke the deadlock 11 minutes from time with a 35-yard strike which Al-Habsi tried to catch but fumbled into his own net.

In the closing stages replacement keeper Aaron Lennox made two good saves to ensure victory.

Crawley: Preston (sub Lennox); Berry (sub Bawling 68), McNerney (sub Ashton 68), Bradley; Van Den Bogaert (sub Niheme 68); Walton (sub Henderon 68); Young (sub Fenelon 68), Rooney, Smith, Deacon (sub G.Edwards 68); Barnard (sub Harrold 68).

Reading: Al-Habsi; Gunter (sub Obita 68), Long, Ferdinand (sub Hyam 46), Griffin; Akpan (sub Tshibola 80), Taylor (sub Blackman 68), Norwood (sub Kuhl 46), Williams (sub Quinn 46); Samuel (sub Novakovich 80), Sa (sub Cox 46).