Reading took another huge stride towards promotion to the Barclays Premiership with the win that ended Preston's 22-match unbeaten league run.

Substitute Leroy Lita's goal in first-half stoppage time was enough to secure victory for the Coca-Cola Championship leaders, who bounced back from last week's defeat at Luton, which had ended a 33-match undefeated sequence in the league.

Steve Sidwell gave Reading an early lead but Callum Davidson equalised almost instantly for play-off hopefuls Preston, who played the better football for much of the match and were unfortunate not to earn a point.

After surviving an early scare when David Nugent almost scored, Reading seized the advantage in the fifth minute.

Preston goalkeeper Carlo Nash made a mess of Bobby Convey's right-wing corner, allowing Ivar Ingimarsson to drive the loose ball goalwards for Sidwell to force it over the line from less than a yard.

The visitors were undaunted, though, and equalised within three minutes.

Ibrahima Sonko committed an unnecessary foul on Claude Davis just outside penalty area, and from the free-kick Davidson drove a low, left-foot shot into Marcus Hahnemann's bottom-right corner.

Billy Davies' men bossed the next 20 minutes, with Paul McKenna and Brian O'Neil taking control in midfield, but they did not force Hahnemann into a serious save, and it was the home side who created the next two clear chances.

Both fell to the lively John Oster, but the first was blocked by Matt Hill and the second was well saved by Nash after good work from Sidwell and Dave Kitson.

In the 38th minute, Kitson was replaced by Lita after colliding with Nash while racing onto a through-ball, but referee Keith Stroud ruled that Nash's intervention had not been malicious.

And Lita showed his quality immediately when, with time running out in the first half, Kevin Doyle slipped the ball through to him, and the England Under-21 international drilled a fine angled shot into Nash's bottom-right corner.

After the break, Preston continued to enjoy more possession, and they came desperately close to levelling for a second time in the 58th minute.

Davidson met O'Neil superb crossfield ball from the right with a far-post header that beat Hahnemann but was hacked off the line by Graeme Murty.

Five minutes later, the busy Brett Ormerod gave Nicky Shorey the slip on the right and chipped the ball into the centre where Nugent was inches away from making a decisive connection.

Preston piled on the pressure late on, but Reading survived - and their march towards the top flight continues.

Teams

Reading Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey,Oster (Hunt 85), Harper, Sidwell (Gunnarsson 62), Convey,Kitson (Lita 40), Doyle.

Subs Not Used: Stack, Makin.

Goals: Sidwell 6, Lita 45.

Preston Nash, Mears, Mawene, Davis, Hill,Sedgwick (Whaley 61), O'Neil, McKenna, Davidson,Nugent (Agyemang 74), Ormerod (Dichio 81).

Subs Not Used: Alexander, Lewis Neal.

Booked: Davis, Hill, O'Neil.

Goals: Davidson 8.

Att: 23,011

Ref: K Stroud (Hampshire).