Leeds United, but his team, Bristol City, will have a tough time overturning a two-goal deficit after the 3-1 loss in the first leg of the English League Cup.

Goater, the City top scorer this season, found the net in the 77th minute to put Second Division City back into the game after Leeds had led 2-0 from goals in the 20th and 70th minutes. Leeds added a third in the last minute of the match to give themselves a cushion for the trip next week to Ashton Gate.

City had an encouraging start with Goater causing the home defence problems before defender David Wetherall broke the deadlock with his first goal of the season. Wetherall was then fouled by Scott Paterson to enable Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to score from the penalty spot in the 70th minute.

Goater kept it close when he scored after Wetherall's poor headed clearance but Bruno Ribeiro fired hom from 25 yards in the last minute to make it 3-1.

Meanwhle, Sheffield Wednesday's troubled start to the season continued apace when they were beaten 2-0 by Second Division Grimsby.

Sheffield, currently second-from-last in the Premier League with just one win in six games, fell behind to a Paul Groves goal in the 17th minute.

Steve Livingstone got the second eight minutes into the second half and Grimsby could have more but for a great performance by Wednesday keeper Kevin Pressman.

Following UEFA's ruling that the League Cup winners can no longer take one of England's UEFA Cup places, the Premier League clubs are treating the competition very much as a second class event.

However, Tottenham's under-fire manager Gerry Francis will be happy that his side managed to come from behind to beat Second Division Carlisle 3-2 at White Hart Lane.

Neale Fenn put Spurs ahead in the first minute but Andy Couzens and Warren Aspinall had Carlisle 2-1 up by halftime.

Ruel Fox equalised in the 73rd minute and Paul Mahorn, playing his first game in three years, saved Spurs' blushes with a firm header five minutes later.

There were no such problems for Blackburn, currently flying high in second place in the premier league. They thumped second division Preston 6-0 with a pan-European effort.

Swedish striker Martin Dahlin led the way with two goals and fellow Swede Anders Andersson, Englishman Chris Sutton, Scot Kevin Gallacher and Norwegian Lars Bohinen scored one each.

Nottingham Forest went down to a surprise 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Walsall, who have managed just one win in seven Division Two games this season. Justin Skinner got the goal in the 53rd minute.

In the night's other games, Southampton beat Brentford 3-1 and Birmingham thumped Stockport 4-1 in an all-First Division clash.