Kyle Lightbourne helped Stoke City move out of the bottom three in the English First Division on Saturday with his second goal for the club.

Lightbourne netted the second goal in the 50th minute as Stoke beat Norwich City 2-0 to move ahead of Shawn Goater's team, Manchester City, who went down to Middlesbrough on Friday night.

The goal was something of a fluke as Lightbourne's initial shot was blocked by the goalkeeper but the ball rebounded off the Bermudian back into the net.

"When you are struggling to score these are the kind of breaks you need,'' said Lightbourne yesterday.

However, Lightbourne suffered another setback as he went off with a back injury in the final 20 minutes. He hopes to recover in time for Saturday's match against promotion seeking Sunderland.

With only two matches remaining, it now looks increasingly likely that one of the Bermudians' clubs will slip into the Second Division next season. The two players meet on the last day of the season when Stoke host Manchester City.

The crucial matches next weekend see Stoke travelling away to second-placed Sunderland who are trying to clinch the second outright promotion spot while City are at home to Queens Park Rangers who are also in the relegation zone.

If Stoke lose and City win then City will move out of the bottom three prior to their visit to Stoke.

But whether both teams can escape the drop will hinge on Port Vale's last two results against Middlesbrough and Huddersfield.

If teams are tied on points, goals scored (not goal difference) will come into effect and that is where Port Vale have an edge over other sides in the relegation fight.

Port Vale are level on 46 points with Stoke but have scored 52 goals compared to Stoke's 42. Manchester City have netted 49 goals, Portsmouth 45 and Reading 39.

Presently four points separate Stoke from bottom team Reading so none of the relegation spots are decided.

"We have two games left and it's in our hands,'' Lightbourne stressed. "We have a tough game on Saturday against Sunderland who are going for promotion and they've got a fantastic home record.

"We just have to go there and get some sort of result.'' Already the Stoke-Manchester City match is sold out with Stoke currently two points ahead of City.

"Even though we have a poor goals for record I'm positive that we can avoid the drop,'' said the striker.

"Put it like this, if none of the teams in the bottom three win between now and the end of the season then we will stay up.'' Lightbourne hopes both Stoke and Manchester City can escape relegation so that both he and Goater can remain in the First Division next season. But right now it's each man for himself and neither will be doing any favours for the other on May 3.

"Both of us have worked hard to play at a higher level and we know we can play at this level,'' added Lightbourne.

"We're just slowly starting to put a mark on the First Division. I had a dodgy start because of my illness but now I'm starting to find my feet.'' Lightbourne thinks both Manchester City and Stoke could be among the promotion candidates next season, if they survive.

"For a club the size of Manchester City, just thinking of them going down to the Second Division is scary,'' he says.

"Both clubs have the potential to do well next season. For the last two seasons Stoke were involved in the promotion play-offs.'' Lightbourne admitted fighting relegation was a new experience for him.

Previously his goals helped Walsall get out of the Third Division.

"This is the first time I've been in a relegation battle and I don't like the feeling,'' he said.

"The fans had been getting on my back because I arrived at the club and wasn't playing well and had been sick.

"But after the goal I scored last week all of a sudden I've become a hero to them.''