Shaun Goater bagged two more goals as Southend?s remarkable run up the League One table continued with a 3-1 victory over Tranmere on Saturday.

The Bermudian striker, who was saved from retirement by the Shrimpers, has now got five goals in his seven appearances for Steve Tilson?s side this season, a team that are now up to third.

Teenage striker partner James Lawson, not even yet on a pro contract, opened the scoring in the 16th minute against Brian Little?s men, who included former Jamaican World Cup star Theodore Whitmore and Ireland international and Blackburn and Liverpool hardman Jason McAteer.

Seventeen minutes later Mark Gower was brought down in the box by Michael Jackson and Goater stepped up to drive the club?s first penalty of the season into the bottom left-hand corner of the net in front of nearly 7,000 screaming fans.

Delroy Facey pulled back on the stroke of half-time for Rovers but the victory was sealed in the 82nd minute when Goater took advantage of a clever pull back by sub Freddy Eastwood before smashing the ball home past John Achterberg.

Tilson, who spent weeks courting Goater when he was lounging on the bench at Reading, said before the start of the season he would ?snap your hand off? if he was offered a mid-table finish this season ? leaving him delighted at his side?s shock ascent up the table following a promotion year.

?Everybody is sticking together and I just feel that we have people all over the pitch that can score goals,? he said.

?Team spirit and morale is sky high at the moment and I felt that showed today.?

Stateside, meanwhile, Khano Smith was a 64th minute replacement for Marshall Leonard as the New England Revolution went down 5-4 to the NY Metrostars at Giants Stadium in front of 17,000.

The Revs came back from 3-1 down to take a 4-3 lead with 16 minutes left but the home side, inspired by World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff, battled back to win it 5-4.