SEOUL (AFP) - English Premiership outfit Reading edged out French side Lyon 1-0, while Argentina's River Plate beat Japan's Shimizu S-Pulse by the same score in Monday's Peace Cup action in South Korea.

On the rain-soaked pitch at Seoul's World Cup Stadium, Reading midfielder Simon Cox banged home a great cross from Shane Long in the 62nd minute.

Reading dominated from the start and could have been ahead as early as te sixth minute had Kevin Doyle not had a penalty saved by Remy Vercoutre.

In the 14th minute, Lyon's Abdul Kader Keita crossed for Anthony Mounier, but Reading keeper Graham Stack was there to deny the chance.

Lyon's best chance came in the 74th minute, when Nadir Belhadj unleashed a drive from outside the box that Stack punched clear. In injury time, substitutes Karim Benzema and Hatem Ben Arfa were both denied by Stack from close range.

"It was an important game for us after having been beaten by River Plate," said Reading manger Steve Coppell.

"Either side could've won the game, realistically. Thankfully, Cox scored the winning goal for us. That leaves us still in the competition."

His Lyon counterpart Alain Perrin lamented missed opportunities, though he acknowledged his side played better than in the first game.

Perrin said: "We will put our best lineup to win the next game and reach the final."

In Busan, Matias Abelairas, who scored in River Plate's 1-0 victory over Reading last Friday, got another winner Monday in the 33rd minute.

Shimizu S-Pulse has yet to score a goal in the tournament.

River Plate leads Group B with six points, followed by Reading and Lyon at three apiece.

Group A teams will play their final group-stage matches Tuesday, as Spain's Racing Santander meet English Premiership side Bolton, and South Korean club Seongnam Ilhwa plays Mexican side Chivas.