Ben Wright is happy to play the waiting game while a potential transfer to Reading materialises.

The Hampton & Richmond Borough striker had a trial with the Championship side before Christmas.

And he will have had the Royals' scouts scribbling in their notepads on Saturday with a hat-trick in the Beavers' 3-0 win at Weston-super-Mare.

Wright said: "I don't know what's happening with Reading to be honest.

"It was (Hampton boss) Alan Devonshire who sorted out the trial and who is negotiating with them.

"But I haven't heard anything more about it.

"However, their reserve manager Brian McDermott told me I did well in the trial game.

"Whatever happens will happen, but in the meantime, I'll just keep doing as well as I can for Hampton.

"I'd love to go full-time, but perhaps I can do that with Hampton if we make the Conference."

The Beavers, who lost last season's Blue Square South play-off final, are currently fourth.

And if they do make the final step to the top level of non-league football, Wright would have no hard decisions to make.

He said: "I'm looking for a job at the moment, so I wouldn't have anything to give up.

"I had been doing a sports studies course at Winchester University, but I've just packed it in as it wasn't working out as I'd like."

Wright very nearly didn't have the chance to claim the match ball at Weston-super-Mare as the game almost didn't go ahead.

Following a heavy frost, it took three pitch inspections for the game to get the green light, but even then Devonshire regarded the conditions as unsafe.

Wright said: "The pitch was unplayable, but obviously I'm delighted the game did go ahead."

Wright took advantage of a Weston defensive lapse to fire Hampton ahead from the edge of the area after 15 minutes, then curled another in from outside the box on 58 minutes after exchanging passes with Lawrence Yaku.

And when Ryan Lake was shoved over in the Weston box with 15 minutes left, Hampton's regular penalty taker dusted himself off before handing the ball over to Wright.

"Funnily enough, we had spoken about it before on the pitch," said Wright. "Lakey said if we got a penalty, I could have it to try and get my hat-trick.

"I don't think Lakey's missed one yet, so I'm glad I didn't let him down.

"That's 13 for the season now.

My initial aim was to get into double figures, but now I've got that I'm aiming for 25."

Wright reckons its no coincidence that his first hat-trick since joining from Fleet Town in the summer came away from home.

Visiting teams to Beveree this season have tended to pack out their defences, the latest being St Albans in New Year's Day's goalless draw.

Wright said: "Playing away from home definitely suits us more. Teams come to Beveree and defend in numbers.

"But we get a bit more freedom to play away from home. Yaks (Lawrence Yaku) often gets space to drop in behind me or Hodgey (Ian Hodges), and that stretches teams."

Saturday's trip to leaders Chelmsford may prove a different case. But Wright insists Jeff King's side hold no fear for Hampton.

He added: "We seem to do well against the top sides, as we showed against AFC Wimbledon a few weeks ago. But Chelmsford will be a huge test." [

* HAMPTON fans raised £540 at the St Albans game to help out injured defender Craig Tanner, who broke his leg against AFC Wimbledon last year.

Some of the money will go towards paying for a specialist to assist with his recovery, while the rest will help Tanner pay the bills while he cannot work.