Shaun Goater gave himself an early birthday present by netting the winning goal for Manchester City at Newcastle on Saturday.

The Bermudian striker, who turned 31 yesterday, produced an expert finish in the 61st minute to silence the vast majority of the 52,000 crowd at St. James' Park and give City a crucial 1-0 victory.

And Bermuda's other England-based soccer pro, Kyle Lightbourne, also enjoyed a victorious weekend.

Making his debut for Cardiff City, where he is on loan from Stoke City, Lightbourne played all but 12 minutes of the Bluebirds' 4-2 victory at Kidderminster Harriers.

The three points lifted Cardiff to second place in Division Three.

Goater's goal came when he sprang the Newcastle offside trap and ran onto a pass by Andrei Kanchelskis and behind the square home defence before calmly side-footing the ball past advancing Magpies goalkeeper Shay Given.

Just two minutes earlier, Goater had created a great chance for Tony Grant with a run and cross, but the midfielder's shot was deflected just wide.

The goal was Goater's seventh of a season disrupted by injury and his second in the Premier League.

And the unlikely result gave Joe Royle's team their first league triumph since the 5-0 thrashing of Everton on December 9, when Goater was also on the scoresheet.

City remain in the relegation zone but they are now just one point behind fourth-from-bottom club Middlesbrough.

Former England captain Alan Shearer returned after injury to the Newcastle line-up, but he was kept quiet by City's defensive heroes Steve Howey and Richard Dunne.

Royle was delighted by his team's performance and optimistic they would beat the drop.

"I've never thought anything different,'' he said. "I think we're too good to go down. With us winning and one or two other results going our way, it puts us right back in the game. I don't think we're among the worst three in the division but only results will prove me right.'' Royle praised defenders Howey and Dunne, who laid the foundations for victory.

"Steve Howey was 10 out of 10 today, probably just in front of Richard who was 9.5. Our goalkeeper's not really had a save to make. I thought we defended magnificently when we had to and broke dangerously.

"I'm very aware that a lot of people will put it down to Newcastle having an off day, but we made them play that way.'' City meet Southampton at Maine Road next weekend.

Meanwhile, transfer-listed City striker Paulo Wanchope could be on his way to France.

The Costa Rican has reportedly been targeted by Olympique Marseille, where another former Maine Road star, George Weah, is now playing.

Paul Dickov, another strike partner of Goater, is expected to be ready to return to training this week after recovering from a knee ligaments injury.

Although Lightbourne did not get on the scoresheet for Cardiff yesterday, it was a successful return to league action for him.

He has endured a lean spell of late, having lost his place at Stoke and then having been plagued by bad luck in a month's loan at Swindon.

But with Cardiff manager Bobby Gould, a long-time fan of the player, having made it clear that he wants to sign Lightbourne on a permanent basis if he can prove his worth, the tide may at last be turning for the Bermudian.

His aim will be to earn himself a move before transfer deadline day in around a month's time. Alternatively, he may end up having to wait until the summer when his contract with Stoke will expire and he would be free to move with no transfer fee involved.

The ambitious Welsh club may well be in Division Two by next season. Their goals yesterday came from Scott Young, Jason Bowen, Matt Gabbidon and Robert Earnshaw.

On target: Shaun Goater boosted Manchester City's hopes of avoiding relegation with a 61st minute winner at Newcastle on Saturday.