The DC United match behind them, Kyle Lightbourne and Shawn Goater jet back to England today for important weekend matches that could determine their teams' fate in the Second Division promotion race.

While the match at National Stadium last night fell into the `friendly' category, upcoming games for the two Bermudians will be anything but as Lightbourne's Stoke City and Goater's Manchester City attempt to stay in the hunt for the promotion play-offs.

On Saturday, Manchester City are at home to Wigan, the same team that Stoke beat 3-2 last weekend, while Stoke, eight points behind fifth-placed Manchester but with two games in hand, entertain Lincoln in a match they can't afford to lose.

The top two teams gain automatic promotion while third through sixth will be involved in the play-offs in May for the last spot with the final at Wembley.

"I would prefer to have the points and to be in Manchester City's position than the position we are in,'' said Lightbourne during his short break in Bermuda.

"We have 10 games left and we are capable of winning all those games. If we do we will definitely be in the play-offs.'' Next Monday both teams are away, Manchester City travelling to meet second-placed Preston in their most important fixture in the run-in, while Stoke are away to mid-table Chesterfield.

"To get us in the play-offs, that's got to be my goal at this point,'' said Lightbourne who has notched eight goals this season.

Lightbourne returned to the team on Saturday after being dropped for the previous game and played a part in two of the goals in the away win over Wigan.

"Sometimes those things need to be done to get you back up to where you should be,'' he said of the dropping. "For the last two months we've been struggling as a team, not just individuals, and the manager has been changing it around trying to find the right blend. He went back to what I consider to be his first 11.

"My strike partner Peter Thorne has been out injured for two months and that's a big part of the season to miss. He came back on Saturday and scored.'' Goater kept on target for another 25-goal season when he netted in the win on the weekend to lift City into fifth place. Their target is the second automatic promotion spot but to achieve that they will have to beat second-placed Preston on Monday. Preston are presently seven points ahead of City and have a game in hand.

"Fulham have walked away with it but apart from them there are seven or eight teams trying to get into the final place,'' said Goater, who pointed out he and Lightbourne could meet each other in the play-offs.

"The two of us were also saying we would rather get straight promotion because it (play-offs) cuts three weeks off your holiday.'' The play-offs would make both players doubtful for Bermuda's matches in the Caribbean Cup qualifying tournament.

"My boss was saying he didn't mind me coming back for this game because I didn't miss a game,'' said Goater. "On Friday I will train with the boys as normal. I'm getting older and now I need to do something the day before to prepare right for the game.''