weekend when he scored Walsall's opening goal in a 2-1 win over Rotherham United.

Lightbourne broke the deadlock in the first half and Walsall made it 2-0 in the second before Rotherham pulled one back in the last minute.

"Obviously I'm very happy with making it to 20 goals again this season and now I'm looking to try to get a few more between now and the end of the season,'' said Lightbourne.

The win put Walsall in 10th place and still within reach of a promotion play-off spot with eight games remaining. However, last night they could only manage a 1-1 home draw with FA Cup semi-finalists Chesterfield whose own promotion hopes have been distracted by their cup run. Goater's Bristol City drew 2-2 away to second-placed Luton.

"We still have to play the top three, Bury, Luton and Brentford,'' said Lightbourne. "Right now the top teams are playing one another and it is still very close.

"Even teams down the bottom are fighting for their lives so there are no easy games. If we take the lead nine times out of 10 we go on and win the game.'' The final eight matches of the season could be Lightbourne's last with the club as he has refused to sign a new contract, having made known his ambition to join a club in a higher division. Weeks ago Walsall turned down an offer of 400,000 from Coventry City.

"They have more or less made it clear they want to keep me until the end of the season,'' said Lightbourne, whose contract expires in May.

"At this point of my career I have to look after myself. I think I've done a good service for Walsall and will just have to wait and see what happens in the summer.

"Obviously I would like to finish the season on a good note and stay clear of injuries. In the summer I'm definitely looking to get into a higher division.

I will be very disappointed if it doesn't happen.'' Goater has a new manager at Bristol City following the departure last week of Joe Jordan by mutual consent after a board meeting. The new boss is John Ward, a former Bristol Rovers manager, who was recently the assistant at Burnley.