Fifteen years after arriving on the red side of Manchester as a spindly teenager, the name of Shaun Goater was being sung to the rafters at Maine Road amid the mother of all farewell parties. That Manchester City completed their Barclaycard Premiership season with a tame 1-0 loss to Southampton meant little. This was a day to rejoice and celebrate the most unlikely of love affairs.

With the club moving to a new venue after 80 years on Moss Side and Peter Schmeichel, the former Manchester United and Denmark goalkeeper, playing in his final match, the stage was meant to be shared three ways. But there was no disputing that Goater, captain in his final appearance as a Blue, was the name on the minds and in the hearts of the 34,000 supporters - not including a little less than 1,000 from Southampton - who braved a drizzly afternoon. They sang in his honour long and hard and adorned the ground with banners the like of which will cement his place in Manchester City lore.

All of which meant that something had to give, and it was his game. Goater's best moments came with the adrenaline rush of the opening half-hour - a left-footed half-volley over after a difficult piece of skill, a partially blocked shot from distance, a mishit volley from close range and a firm downward header that was yards wide.

Then Southampton scored a soft goal on 34 minutes, Michael Svensson, the centre half, heading in from six yards on the end of a Matt Oakley free kick from the right. City chased the game throughout the remainder, but they met Paul Jones, the goalkeeper, who is likely to give way to Antti Niemi for Saturday's FA Cup Final against Arsenal, in inspired form.

Goater was replaced 18 minutes into the second half by Robbie Fowler, whose arrival from Leeds United for ?6 million in mid-season has had most to do with the Bermudian's imminent departure.

The ovation was standing and it was rapturous, the familiar tunes of ‘Feed the Goat' and ‘There's Only One Shaun Goater' reverberating for the next five minutes. Fowler has struggled to settle in at Maine Road, as part of Kevin Keegan's “dream” partnership with Nicolas Anelka, and it is easy to see why after he spurned the best chance of the match in the last minute of stoppage time.

But this was not a time for recrimination, although falling one place to ninth in the final table equates to a loss of ?533,000 in prize-money. This was Shaun Goater Day.

“It was a really big day and a great atmosphere; overwhelming at times,” Goater said, once finally clear of post-match festivities, which included a strolling lap of honour, special presentation to he and Schmeichel, concert, pyrotechnic display and final rounds through the executive boxes.

“It was something to see the depths of passion and feeling shown towards me.

“Unfortunately, I found the game difficult. Everywhere I turned there was another banner with words honouring me and it was hard to keep my focus on the pitch.”

Picture the banners “The Goat: The Greatest to Graze Maine Road”, “All I Need Is The Air That I Breathe And Shaun Goater”, “Thousands Of Memories But Only One Goater” or the T-shirt that reads: “Year of the Goat. Manchester City and millions of Chinese can't be wrong” and you merely scratch the surface such is the esteem in which the 33-year-old is held thousands of a miles away from his old stomping ground at North Village.

“It was a very enjoyable occasion,” Goater added. “From my arrival, to the warm-up, to my final departure.”

Enjoyable also for his mother, whom Goater was keen to have rub shoulders with City's finest.

“She absolutely enjoyed it,” he said. “I wanted to get her here to experience this kind of atmosphere and when we were leaving and the fans were trying to get to the car to touch me or get that last autograph, she remarked that this is what it must be like to be Michael Jackson.”

On Moss Side at least, neither Michael Jackson nor precious few others could hold a candle to Shaun Goater.

MANCHESTER CITY (4-4-2): P Schmeichel - S Distin, D Sommeil, R Dunne (sub: K Horlock, 82min) - A Benarbia, J Barton (sub: D Belmadi, 70), S Wright-Phillips, M-V Foe - S Goater (sub: R Fowler, 63), N Anelka. Substitutes not used: C Nash, G Wiekens. Booked: Barton, Dunne, Distin.

SOUTHAMPTON (4-4-2): P Jones - W Bridge, C Lundekvam, M Svensson, P Telfer - D Prutton (sub: D Higginbotham, 80), M Oakley, C Baird, A Svensson (sub: J Tessem, 64) - B Ormerod (sub: F Fernandes, 90), J Beattie. Substitutes not used: A Blayney, P Williams. Booked: Prutton, Telfer, Beattie, Ormerod.

Referee: Mike Dean.