their English league soccer clubs to pre-season victories.

Lightbourne's Second Division Stoke City defeated Premier League giants Liverpool 1-0 in front of a Britannia Stadium crowd of 16,000 -- a remarkable attendance for a friendly match.

The decisive goal came from Stefan Thorardson, a curling left-footed free-kick rifled past Liverpool's newly signed goalkeeper Pegguy Arphexad in the 30th minute.

Liverpool coach Gerard Houllier left out all of his stars who were involved in last month's Euro 2000 tournament, but new signing Gary McAllister started.

The Premier League club made nine changes at half-time and Stoke continued to look the better side. Only a clearance off his own goal-line by Rigobert Song prevented a second goal for the Potters.

Goater got his name on the scoresheet as his club Manchester City romped to a 4-0 win over Northern Ireland club Linfield in Belfast.

In front of a large contingent of travelling City fans, the Bermudian striker opened the scoring early in the game with a diving header from a left-wing cross by Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Goater then saw his lobbed effort cleared off the line by Noel Bailie and he was then substituted at half-time by manager Joe Royle, along with eight of his team-mates.

Mark Kennedy, Kevin Horlock and Robert Taylor added three second-half goals to round off a comfortable victory for City.

Goater will get a taste of what he will be up against in his first season in the Premier League when City play cross-town rivals Manchester United in a high-profile friendly on August 16.

The clash at Old Trafford is a testimonial match for United's long-serving defender Dennis Irwin and a packed house is expected.

It was hoped that the attendance would be the biggest ever for a benefit match, breaking the record of 60,000 who turned out for another United star, Bobby Charlton, in 1972.

But it now appears that the stadium's capacity will be reduced on the night because of work being done on the West Stand.

The United/City clash will take place three days before City's opening match back in the Premier League at Charlton.

City are also scheduled to play a friendly at Oldham on August 8, before which Goater and his team-mates will be presented with their First Division runners-up medals, earned last season.

Royle is still rumoured to be in the market for new strikers to partner Goater. Having missed out last week on Nigeria international Daniel Amokachi, Royle is now reportedly lining up a bid for West Ham's Paul Kitson.