Reading assistant manager Kevin Dillon twisted the knife into Shaun Goater yesterday, insisting the Bermudian?s absence from the Royals starting line-up is not about money, it is about playing well.

Coach Steve Coppell finally revealed last week that it would cost the club ?50,000 if Goater was to play another game, due to a contract clause in his transfer from Manchester City in the summer of 2003.

That revelation went some way to explain why Goater has been stranded on 49 appearances since last year ? the payment kicks in when he reaches 50 ? but Dillon has now said that is not the reason behind the striker?s relegation to reserve duties.

?The fee is irrelevant,?? said Dillon.

??People talk about it but if he was doing well and scoring goals he would be in the team. We?re challenging to get into the Premiership so if Shaun had been pushing to get into the team it wouldn?t be an issue.??

Meanwhile Goater, who was the Island?s man of the match in the defeat to Santos on Sunday, has re-affirmed his commitment to the promotion-chasers despite their apparent lack of interest in allowing him to return to the side he led in scoring last campaign.

?The gaffer has decided to go with other players but if we continue to stay among the top four or five in the league and we get into April, everyone is then counted and needed,? said Goater, who flew back to England yesterday after returning for the Santos game courtesy of an anonymous corporate sponsor.

?So I don?t think they will be considering stopping a player because of paying out a fee. I think they will look and say ?Hey, everyone is needed and we want to get promoted?.

?I think somewhere along the line they will forget that and say ?Well, we need to use him? and certainly if there are injuries and loss of form and they want to stay among the top where we are.?

Goater, whose good touches on Sunday were somewhat undermined by an obvious lack of first-team football, admitted that the cold conditions prior to the game lured him into a false sense of security on matchday.

?I thought this will be good for me because the weather was as cold as it was in England,? said the striker, who combined well with Khano Smith and was unfortunate to bag a couple of early goals.

?Funnily enough, Sunday turned out to be the hottest day since I?ve been back. The second half was warmer and it caught up with me a bit and I felt signs of fatigue myself.

?Anyone at the professional level who would have seen me would have thought I should come off but I think, because I came all this way especially for this game, Kyle decided to leave me on though he was wanting to bring me off.?