goals of his professional career last night when his 19th-minute strike gave Rotherham United a 1-0 first leg win over Premier League team Everton in the League Cup.

But after a performance, which is sure to hit the headlines in the British papers today, Goater admitted to being disappointed at not having scored more goals.

He had two efforts saved by Welsh international goalkeeper Neville Southall and put another against the crossbar as Everton escaped an even worse defeat.

Southall also made saves from Dean Barrick and Ian Banks.

One report on the match spoke how "Bermuda international Shawn Goater ran the visitors ragged'' while a BBC reporter at the match reaped high praise on the 21-year-old Bermudian. "Watch this man Goater, I reckon he'll go far,'' said BBC correspondent Alan Biggs at the end of his report.

Only some important saves from Southall kept Everton from facing an even bigger deficit for the second leg at Goodison Park in two weeks' time.

"I was quite happy with my game,'' Goater told The Royal Gazette last night.

"I thought if anything I would get about one chance, so I'm happy overall.

I'm a little upset because we should have come away with two or three goals to our advantage. But I'm happy my goal was the winner.'' The winner came from a free kick about 15 yards in the Rotherham half as the ball was kicked over the top of the Everton defence for Goater to slip through and put a hard shot under Southall from an angle 10 yards out.

"It was my hardest chance of the match,'' Goater said. He also had a one-on-one chance deflected off the feet of the 'keeper for a corner before he opened the scoring.

The other save was from a hard shot with his left foot after cutting in from the right and getting into the penalty area. The crossbar denied him when he met a Tony Cunningham cross at the far post and side-footed against the framework in the second half.

"They didn't seem as good as I thought they would be,'' said Goater of Everton. "They gave us enough chances to encourage us to go for more.'' Everton were without former England striker Peter Beardsley who was out with an injury. Their attack was led by Tony Cottee, a player who cost 1 million when he signed from West Ham United.

The goal takes top scorer Goater's tally to six in 11 games. The match was played in front of a crowd of about 10,000.

Goater has yet to sign the new contract offer and is hoping this performance will attract interest from clubs in the higher divisions.

"I'm ready for the big time,'' he said. "The gaffer is really going to fight me going back (for World Cup matches) now.

"I'm going to hold off signing a new contract. If I sign a new contract then clubs are going to have to pay that much more for me. Apparently a few scouts were there tonight.'' SHAWN GOATER -- Scored one and could have had three more.