Benjani goal sinks Middlesbrough
By Jason Mellor
MIDDLESBROUGH, England — Benjani Mwaruwari struck for the first time in more than a year to maintain new Manchester City manager’s Roberto Mancini’s 100 percent record with a 1-0 FA Cup win at Middlesbrough.
The Zimbabwe international made the most of a rare start with his first goal of the season to seal City’s progress to the fourth round at the expense of their second-tier Championship hosts, who have not prospered since Gordon Strachan replaced Gareth Southgate earlier this season – this was their seventh defeat in his 13 matches in charge.
Benjani, whose last goal came in a 1-1 Premier League draw against Fulham in December 2008, pounced from the edge of the area in first-half stoppage-time after a powerful run from his own half by Martin Petrov to give Italian boss Mancini a reminder of his abilities.
Victory stretched City’s combined run under Mancini and sacked predecessor Mark Hughes to just a single defeat in 18 games.
City will hope to emulate the last five clubs to beat Boro in this competition, who’ve gone on to make the final, although Mancini will hope to go one better as all five have ended as runners-up.
The pitch passed a late inspection in near blizzard snow conditions which kept the crowd to just 12,474 as several coachloads of City fans were turned back en route due to the extreme weather conditions.
Mancini was able to leave more than 30 million pounds-worth of talent on the City bench as he made five changes from the team which beat Wolves 3-0 in their most recent Premier League fixture.
The Italian rested Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry and Craig Bellamy ahead of the League Cup semi-final first-leg meeting with Manchester United on Wednesday.
All three came on in the second-half to help City secure only their first win on Teesside in 32 years.
Mancini’s selection policy meant a first start for Dedryck Boyata, the Belgian teenager who partnered Micah Richards at centre-back, with Benjani employed as a lone forward.
The impressive Petrov was at the heart of the few first-half openings carved out by the visitors as Pablo Zabaleta forced a fine save from Middlesbrough goalkeeper Danny Coyne, before Petrov curled an effort narrowly wide from the edge of the area.
Middlesbrough beat City 12 years ago en route to the FA Cup final, but once they lost influential England Under-21 midfielder Adam Johnson to an early recurrence of a hamstring problem they showed little indication of improving on a run of just two wins from 11 games under new manager Gordon Strachan.
Gary O’Neil had penalty claims when he went down under a challenge from Sylvinho just after the break, but well-placed referee Stuart Attwell correctly booked the Boro captain for diving.
City failed to impose themselves on the contest after the break despite the introduction at half-time of Tevez and Barry, and Rhys Williams went close with a header onto the roof of the net from Tony McMahon’s cross as Boro went in search of an equaliser.
But Shay Given was rarely tested, and the City goalkeeper had little trouble in clinching a third straight clean sheet under Mancini.
Bellamy went close to doubling the lead late on as the Wales international forced a great save from Coyne. AFP
