Shaun Goater blocked a plan by his club Manchester City to use him in an English First Division match against Crystal Palace today and then fly him across the Atlantic on Concorde to play for Bermuda tomorrow.

Goater refused to fit in with City's plans, as he felt it would not be possible to give his best for club and country, if he was asked to play two games and complete a journey of thousands of miles, all within 24 hours. Top scorer Goater has spearheaded third-placed City's campaign for promotion to the Premier League this season and his club also expect him back after the BVI match in time to play against QPR on Wednesday.

"It would not have been fair to ask me to play two games in such a short time -- that schedule would have affected at least one of the performances,'' said Goater yesterday.

"City were proposing I play against Palace and then they would have been willing to fly me over on Concorde, but I had to turn them down.

"If I had done that there is no way I could have given 100 percent against the BVI.

"It's not just about being tired. You need time to get in the right state of mind to play and you need to stick to the right diet. At least the offer shows how much the club must value me as a a player.

"I had to make the final decision and I decided I did not want to play three games in five days. It's unheard of. I want to give Bermuda and City my best.'' As for whether he would be playing for Bermuda on March 19 -- the same day City play Charlton in a top-of-the-table clash -- Goater said much depended on tomorrow's result.

"If Bermuda win by a big margin, I think they have said they might not call me up for the second leg,'' said Goater.

"I guess they'll also have to weigh up how strong a team the BVI are and have a close look at the match video.

"But I just want to play football -- I leave the negotiating to (Manchester City manager) Joe Royle, Clyde Best and the BFA.'' Goater was looking forward to tomorrow's match and said victory for the team was more important to him than adding to his impressive goal tally for the season.

"I'm not thinking so much about how many goals I get, I just want the team to win,' said Goater.

"It's great to see all the boys again -- it's the first time Kyle, David and I have played together for seven or eight years.

"I think we will be a strong team because with me, Kyle, Meshach, David and Streaker, who plays semi-pro, we've got several players with profesional experience.

"That attitude will filter through to the rest of the team, more than if we had just one or two pros.'' Goater was neither impressed nor fazed by the pitch. "It's probably the worst pitch I've played on in the Caribbean, but I won't go into the game thinking about that. The important thing is to keep your mind on playing and always keep a positive attitude.'' Lightbourne, whose Second Division club Stoke City is also in the midst of a promotion bid, felt similarly.

"We didn't come here expecting the playing conditions to be great,'' said Lightbourne.

"We've just got to be professional about it and try to come out of it with a win.'' Lightbourne was a key figure in Bermuda's success in their last appearance in the World Cup qualifiers back in 1992 when he scored the winner on an emotional day at the National Stadium in a 1-0 win against El Salvador.

"That was a great time and if we could recreate some of that feeling by doing well again, it would be good for football in Bermuda,'' said Lightbourne.

Lightbourne's situation is similar to Goater's. He is due back for a Wednesday night home match against Bury next week and said he may also be spared from selection by Bermuda if the Island chalks up a big win tomorrow.

Ready for action: Midfielder Paul Cann (left) and wingback Stanton Lewis will line up alongside Shaun Goater.