Reading manager Steve Coppell felt vindicated in his decision to stop Shaun Goater representing Bermuda this week as the striker scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United.

Coppell blocked Goater from playing for his country against Montserrat tomorrow because he would have missed this game and the match against Preston next Tuesday.

"If it had stayed as a Saturday match I would have let Shaun go because he would only have missed one match," said Coppell.

Goater fired in the 33rd-minute penalty which brought Reading victory and took them level on points with Sheffield United in the scramble for play-off places.

"It was not an official international week," said Coppell.

"Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. I was certainly glad to see him out there although I did feel bad about the decision.

"It was an exciting game but not one for the purist. It's one that can be analysed to death.

"I thought a 2-1 lead for us was right at half-time and we knew we would face a second-half barrage.

"The tempo in that second half was just so quick. In one way I wanted the tempo to settle down but we can be more effective at that pace.

"I said when I arrived at Reading that any one of a dozen teams could win promotion but I now think it's more than that.

"Some of the top teams have still to visit the Madejski [Stadium. That includes West Brom, Norwich, West Ham and Sunderland. They are big games."

It was a long throw from defender Robert Kozluk which caused confusion in Reading's defence and allowed Andy Gray to open the scoring but full-back Nicky Shorey sent his David Beckham-style free-kick swinging into the corner of the net in the 24th minute.

Then James Harper was brought down in the penalty area to give Goater the chance to score the winning goal and justify his manager's decision to keep him in the cold of England.