Goater scored his first hat-trick of the season for Manchester City in their 4-0 drubbing of Fulham and upped his tally for the campaign to 18.

The 29-year-old striker's big day was not only witnessed by a Maine Road crowd of 30,057, but also by a live television audience of millions in the UK.

"I'm pleased to get the hat-trick,'' said Goater. "As a striker you try and get one hat-trick a season and it was one of those games that wherever I was the ball seemed to follow me. Some games, no matter how long you are out there, you won't score.'' City moved up to second in the English First Division table, one point behind leaders Charlton, and kept on track for promotion to the Premier League.

Goater added that his personal goals total was not as important to him as others might think.

"I am sure the press will be keeping count of my goal tally, but for me the aim is just to be consistent. It was important for us to get back to winning ways in the league.'' City are the best supported team in the First Division and hence there are great expectations of promotion at Maine Road and pressure on the players to succeed -- especially considering the success of city rivals and European champions Manchester United.

But Goater said manager Joe Royle and his coaches were shielding the players from that pressure.

"Prior to the game, Charlton were four points clear so we needed to get those three points. The staff didn't allow us to feel any real pressure.

"We were told to play our normal game, to enjoy it and be creative. We knew that a good performance would bring a good result.

"It was hard work against Fulham. They have a very good defensive record and we knew we had to be at our best to come away with a result.'' Goater's goals came from a side-foot finish in the 29th minute, a bicycle kick in the 77th and a close-range shot in the 85th after Robert Taylor's header had been parried by the Fulham goalkeeper.

Royle was delighted with Goater and felt his top striker had answered his critics.

"Shaun's game has improved all round,'' said the City manager, a former England centre forward himself. "There have been people who didn't really rate him or think that he could step up to a higher level after scoring all those goals for us in the Second Division last season.

"But he has proved them wrong. He has won over the crowd now and I hope he gets the chance to step up another division with us by the end of the season.''