CITY BATTLE TO WIN

MANCHESTER CITY 1 - 0 BLACKPOOL
A Johnson 34

City went into today’s game knowing a win would keep pressure on table toppers United and be a perfect start to the a year that promises so much.

2011 could be an historic season for Roberto Mancini's men as they look to end the club's 34 year hunt for silverware but Blackpool would provide a much sterner test than that of  pitiful Aston Villa who were humiliated here at Eastlands on Boxing Day.

The Italian was without the injured Mario Balotelli but top scorer and captain Carlos Tevez came back into the City starting line-up after sitting out the Villa game.

After demolishing the Midlands side  4-0 on Tuesday the home side started this game with the same intensity and Tevez almost broke the deadlock in the first minute when the normally reliable Charlie Adam passed the ball straight to the Argentine's feet..

Tevez controlled the ball with glee and burst into the area only to see his jinking run end with a shot that whistled just past Richard Kingston's far post.

City continued to apply pressure with a verve that will have pleased the manager after criticism of his defensive home tactics, the excellent David Silva was majestic playing the supporting role to Tevez and his pin-point passing and movement left Blackpool on the back foot - reduced to playing on the break.

Despite their slow start to the game, the visitors almost silenced the home support when a magnificent long range pass from Adam found Gary Taylor-Fletcher in acres of space on the right. He managed to cut into the area but ran into a mass of blue shirts with Vincent Kompany clearing the danger for the home side.


Soon after Taylor-Fletcher again caused panic among the blue faithful when a powerful strike forced Joe Hart into a spectacular save.

City soon regained the initiative though as Adam Johnson  terrorized the Blackpool defenders with a number of jinking runs down both fkanks as he looked to justify his starting place in Mancini’s star-studded line-up.

Ian Holloways men were struggling to cope with the blues’ movement and the home side eventually broke their resolve in the 33^rd minute when the seasiders failed to clear a City corner and Johnson rasped a 35 yard strike past the hapless Kingston.


The ball looked to take a slight deflection off Stephen Crainey which wrong footed the keeper but the City winger will surely be claiming it for himself.

Blackpool had little time to regain their composure when ref Mark Clattenberg pointed to the spot after Yaya Toure was bundled down in the area by Luke Varney in what can only be described as a ‘forwards challenge’.

A two goal lead would surely have ended the contest but Carlos Tevez stepped up to blast his spot-kick wide of the post and let the visitors off the hook.

Despite the disappointment, the home side continued to pile on the pressure but Blackpool managed to hold on until the break.

City continued their dominance in the second half with both Nigel de Jong and David Silva both going close but the visitors hung in and looked to hit the home side on the break.

Roberto Mancini was given an injury concern in the 63^rd minute when the Silva hobbled off to be replaced by James Milner and the Italian will hope his midfield maestro will be fit for the trip to Arsenal on Wednesday night.

Despite their continued pressure the home side still found the second goal hard to come by as Ian Holloway’s men dug in and defended well, frustrating the home support and giving the seasiders continued hope that they could get something from the game.

The introduction of Matty Phillips by Holloway brought some success for the visitors and he became a thorn in the side of first Kolarov and then substitute Pablo Zabaleta.

In the 70^th minute Tevez again broke clear of the Blackpool defence and rounded the keeper only to lose his footing and waste another opportunity.

Roberto Mancini was becoming increasingly animated on the touchline as he saw chance after chance go begging, including another golden opportunity for Carlos Tevez who blasted a shot wide of Kingston’s goal after good work on the left by Milner.

Anxiety began to spread around the home support as Blackpool sensed they might be able to snatch an unlikely point from a game in which they had battled bravely in but had been largely outplayed by their hosts.

The visitors began to push forward in search of an equalizer but left themselves exposed at the back in a game that was becoming increasingly open.

Carlos Tevez cut a frustrated figure as he battled and schemed but just couldn’t get the elusive second goal for the blues.

The game finally finished with City taking all three points but Roberto Mancini will be frustrated at the number of chances that his side wasted – misses which kept Blackpool still in a game that should have been over as a contest by half-time.

Teams

       

Manchester City:

Hart, Boateng, Kolarov (Zabaleta 60), Kompany, Lescott, de Jong, Barry, Yaya Toure (Vieira 85), A Johnson, Silva (Milner 64), Tevez.

Unused subs:
Given, Richards, Wright-Phillips, Jo.

Blackpool:

Kingson, Crainey, Eardley, Evatt, Cathcart, Vaughan, Sylvestre (Phillips h-t), Adam, Taylor-Fletcher (Ormerod 64), Varney (Carney 83), Campbell.

Unused subs:
Halstead, Baptiste, Edwards, Southern, Ormerod.

Referee: Mark Clattenburg


Attendance: 47,296