Shaun Goater notched a hat-trick on Saturday, but not in goal-scoring terms.

No, it was the third game on the trot that the Reading striker had been forced to watch the game from the substitutes' bench.

The 33-year-old, who is fully fit to play, was left out of the starting line-up for league clash at Crewe ? which Reading lost 1-0 ? after also being absent from the initial team for the League Cup win over Huddersfield and the 2-1 League victory over Sheffield United.

The Royals' big money buy did make it onto the pitch on Saturday but was given just 11 minutes to try and turn the club's fortunes around after Crewe had gone ahead through Steve Jones early in the first half at Gresty Road.

Goater replaced winger John Salako as manager Steve Coppell threw two men up front in the hope of salvaging a point and the big man did have one chance but his 85th minute header went wide of the post.

Coppell was a disappointed man afterwards.

"I couldn't ask for much more from the second-half performance," he said. "We were always looking to attack, which is how I like to play, but our finishing let us down and we're really disappointed."

Reading's next game is against league leaders Wigan Athletic on Saturday ? one of the teams who were said to be interested in signing Goater when he was allowed to leave Manchester City in the summer.

David Bascome extended his scoring streak at the Baltimore Blast, but could not help his side avoid a crushing 9-4 defeat against the Philadelphia KiXX in the Major Indoor Soccer League on Saturday night.

Bermudian Bascome, who moved to the Blast from the now defunct Harrisburg Heat earlier this year, brought the score to 6-2 in favour of the KiXX.

He has gained at least one point in each of his five games with the Blast but he could not add to his tally and the KiXX ran away with the game.