Shaun Goater got Manchester City's bid to regain their top flight status off to a cracking start at the weekend when he scored the opening goal in a 3-0 victory over Watford.

What had looked like a tough opener for Kevin Keegan's side turned out to be a walk in the park as City cruised to three points against Gianluca Vialli's men.

Both managers had only taken over during the summer, but it is Keegan's players who appear to have gelled the quickest.

Goater topped the City goalscoring charts last season when the club were relegated from the Premier League, and he illustrated his determination to repeat the feat this time around when he hit the back of the net in the 58th minute with a fine header from a Laurent Charvet cross.

New signing Eyal Berkovic scored the second in the 63rd minute and Stuart Pearce rounded off the scoring three minutes from time.

"We scored one great goal and were unlucky not to win by more," said Keegan. "We laid siege to them in the second period of the first half but they held out. We kept believing, kept passing the ball and I knew that we were always going to create chances, it was just a case of getting the first one."

It was not such a happy day for Goater's fellow Bermudian Kyle Lightbourne who made his debut for Third Division Macclesfield Town.

Playing at home, the Silkmen went down 3-1 to Swansea City.

It was a difficult opening clash for Town, City having been relegated from Division Two last season and looking to bounce back at the first attempt.

Town threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Swans in an exhilarating second-half but could not retrieve an early two goal lead given to the Welshmen.

Lee Glover netted the consolation for Macclesfield from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute.

"We worked very hard in the second half but just like last season we didn't get the breaks, we had two or three blocked on the line and missed a couple of gilt-edged changes," said director of football Gil Prescott.

"Our defending was poor and the first 20 minutes were appalling."

Saturday's English round-up, see Page 25.