place in the Manchester City team and get back among the goals.

A groin injury picked up in training the day before the December 19 match against York City has kept Goater out of the team and despite a 2-1 defeat, manager Joe Royle was impressed enough with the performance to keep the same side for last Saturday's match against Wrexham.

Goater was left on the substitutes' bench in both that match and Monday's clash against Stoke City, both of which City won to lift themselves up the Second Division table.

They are now seventh, 13 points behind leaders Fulham and eight behind Kyle Lightbourne's third-placed Stoke who lost both of their holiday matches.

Because of the two wins, Goater will probably find himself back on the bench when City travel to London this weekend for their FA Cup third round tie against Premier League Wimbledon.

The team's top scorer admits he has begun to lose confidence after a month of not scoring and in the last two matches that he did start he was substituted after about 70 minutes.

Against Stoke, Goater came on at the start of the second half while Lightbourne was substituted after 70 minutes. City came from 1-0 down to score twice in the second half and win 2-1.

Goater was involved in the first goal when he collided with the goalkeeper following a through pass and the ball popped free for Paul Dickov to equalise.

The winner came from Gareth Taylor five minutes from the end.

"I think this is the first time Kyle and I have played against each other and none of us have scored,'' said Goater.

It has been six weeks since Goater added to his 11 goals, the last coming against Halifax in the FA Cup. And although he's also now out of the team, he remains philsophical about the latest setback.

"It's giving me the chance to look at things from the side, though obviously I would prefer to be starting,'' he said.

"You have to go through these situations sometimes to become not just a better footballer but a better person. That's the reason I came here (Manchester City), for the challenge.'' City's biggest challenge is still getting out of the Second Division at the first attempt but, as they have quickly discovered, it won't be easy.

"No club is too big to be in a division,'' said Goater. "You are there because of how you played previously and the only way you are going to get out is by how you play and by getting the results.'' City's crowds still rival those of most Premier League teams and they are always sold out for away matches, while they regularly attract crowds of 25,000 for home matches.

A crowd of 31,000 turned up for the Stoke game. But as the team has found out, that kind of support has its drawbacks.

"We're not expected to be in Division Two so any team we come up against and at half-time are not winning we get booed because we are expected to beat them.

"That's the expectation of the crowd and that puts added pressure on the players. It is a lot greater than it was at Bristol City.''