Shaun Goater missed out on Reading's Carling Cup 3-1 triumph at Oxford last night after failing to recover from a stomach bug.

The 33-year-old striker fell ill on Tuesday and was still under the weather yesterday as the First Division club prepared for their trip to their near-neighbours.

Though disappointed, Goater said last night he expected to be fit to face Sunderland in a key league clash at the weekend.

“I have been ill today,” he said after being left behind at his Berkshire base. “I had it yesterday and today. It has eased up but I have just been feeling weak so that's why I'm not involved.”

“I don't think I'll miss Saturday,” he added though wryly.

After Saturday's disappointing loss to Coventry, Goater had hoped to be part of a winning performance last night. In hjs absence, second half goals from John Salako, Nicky Forster and James Harper were enough to see the Royals through. Jefferson Louis scored for Oxford.

“It's a game where we would like to begin a winning streak,” he said. “I was confident we would get a result but it's disappointing not to be involved.”

Reading's caretaker manager Kevin Dillon was asked whether it was fair to say that four-goal Goater was “not quite firing on all cylinders right now”.

Speaking during a question and answer session on Reading's official website, www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk, agreed in part while also defending the player.

“Shaun is still contributing and doing a lot of defensive work,” he said. “Maybe he needs to start taking risks at the other end but he's a quality footballer, a real gentleman and he'll come through.”

In other ties, Tottenham Hotspur won 3-0 at First Division Coventry City in their first match since they sacked manager Glenn Hoddle, while Leeds United narrowly avoided a shock defeat.

Leeds won an exciting tie at Elland Road 4-3 on penalties after Second Division Swindon Town, Hoddle's first club as a manager, were seconds away from knocking the Premiership side out of the competition in the second round.

England goalkeeper Paul Robinson ran upfield to head a 90th-minute equaliser from a corner to make the score 2-2 and send the match into extra time.

No further goals were scored and Robinson made a decisive save in the shootout when he parried Stefani Miglioranzi's effort before Andy Gurney missed for Swindon.

Defender Gurney had put the visitors in front a minute from halftime by rifling a free kick into the top right-hand corner.

Swindon went 2-0 up after 74 minutes through striker Sam Parkin but Leeds pulled one back when Ireland defender Ian Harte volleyed home from a corner three minutes later.

The Second Division side then had goalkeeper Bart Griemink sent off two minutes from the end of normal time for a second bookable offence.

Spurs strikers Frederic Kanoute and Robbie Keane combined twice to score a fine goal each in the opening 23 minutes of their match against Coventry at Highfield Road.

Substitute Rohan Ricketts extended the lead in the 86th minute with a rising shot from the edge of the box, his first goal for Tottenham.

Hoddle, who had been in charge at Spurs since April 2001, was sacked on Sunday following a 3-1 Premiership defeat at home to his former club Southampton on Saturday.

Ironically, the north London club's caretaker manager David Pleat was in charge when they lost 3-2 to Coventry in the 1987 FA Cup final - Hoddle's last match for the club as a player.

“We worked very hard for each other and, of course, we have the advantage that we have some good front players at the club,” said Pleat, who made four changes from the side that lost to Southampton.

One of those was the return of Uruguayan veteran Gustavo Poyet for his first match since a pre-season injury.

Poyet had a close-range header parried and then headed the rebound on to the near post in the first half.

Tottenham are third from bottom of the standings with just four points from six matches.

Middlesbrough needed extra time to overcome a tough challenge at home from Second Division Brighton, winning 1-0 with a 94th minute goal from Malcolm Christie.

Brazilian striker Mario Jardel scored twice for Bolton Wanderers in their 3-1 home win over First Division Walsall. He headed an early goal and although his 80th minute penalty was parried by keeper James Walker he netted from the rebound.

Kevin Nolan scored Bolton's second before former England striker Paul Merson pulled one back for Walsall.

Everton striker Duncan Ferguson also scored twice, his first a penalty, in Everton's 3-0 home win over Second Division Stockport County. Nick Chadwick hit the other goal.

The draw for the third round is on Saturday.