Shaun Goater's record-breaking season saw another first last night when the Bermudian hitman was sensationally sent off for Manchester City.

Playing against already-relegated Stockport County in a Division One clash at Edgeley Park, 30-goal Goater was dismissed for the first time in not only his career but in a football match, period.

Perhaps as a direct result, ten-man City went on to lose the match 2-1 with County scoring twice in the last five minutes for a win that meant nothing to them but puts some pressure back on Kevin Keegan's title chasers.

City were already leading 1-0 through Goater's new strike partner Jon Macken when disaster struck just after the half-hour mark.

Blues `keeper Carlo Nash missed a cross and County's Luke Beckett connected with a shot that was destined for the top right-hand corner.

Goater, attempting to prevent the ball from crossing the line, inexplicably raised his hand to divert it.

Referee Clive Wilkes had no option but to red card the player as the handball constituted the denying of a goalscoring opportunity.

As if having their star striker sent off was not enough punishment, referee Wilkes then pointed to the spot.

However, County, by far and away the worst side in the division, conspired to miss when Beckett fired over the bar.

Lucien Mettomo replaced Shaun Wright-Phillips at the start of the second half as City reorganised themselves following the dismissal.

And it looked as though they might hang on for the vital three points but on 86 minutes Jon Hardiker sent a backwards header past Nash for the equaliser.

Worse was to follow when City were caught short at the death and Hardiker scored his second of the night.

Keegan laid into City's cult-hero after the match, telling reporters he was incredulous as to why he had committed the handball.

"I don't know what Shaun Goater was thinking of," he fumed. "I have told him that I don't like what happened. I even think that (defender) Stuart Pearce would have cleared the ball off the line. Shaun had to go and from then on it was always going to be very difficult.

"It was a bad result for us."

Keegan said he believed City, still five points clear of second placed Wolves, were playing for the title last night.

"We went down to ten men. We have got away with that a few times this season but we just couldn't tonight," he said. "We came under a lot of pressure. They were playing for pride and we were playing for what I believe would have been the championship. Now it is back in the melting pot from our point of view."

Goater's sending off, a feat never seen in his days at North Village or at any time previously in his professional career, could have effectively put paid to his hopes of adding to his current goal tally.

He will have to serve a mandatory three-game suspension and with just six games remaining until the end of the season he might find it difficult to get back into the squad.

Paulo Wanchope's injury is likely to rule him out of action, but Darren Huckerby, dropped to the bench last night, will jump at the chance to play alongside new ?5 million signing Macken.

If the pair prove a hit, it is doubtful Keegan will seek to split them up with City aiming for a return to the Premiership at the first attempt.