City make it in the end: MANCHESTER CITY 2, EB/STREYMUR 0

(City won 4-0 on aggregate)

MARK HUGHES made light of Manchester City’s failings as they toiled against Faroe Islands part timers EB/Streymur in last night’s UEFA Cup, first qualifying round, writes TONY BUGBY.

The City manager saw his side create an astonishing 46 goalscoring chances in a totally one-sided contest yet they managed to convert only two.

Though City were never in danger of losing out in this mis-match of a tie against the islanders, whose entire population would comfortable fit into Eastlands, they made hard work of their task.

Yet with half-decent finishing, City would won by a massive margin and a double-figure scoreline would not have done them a disservice.

But with strikers Jo, Benjani, Felipe Caicedo and Valeri Bojinov all missing, it was hardly surprising City lacked a cutting edge.

Hughes remarked: “Our finishing was disappointing but, in all fairness to them, they defended exceptionally well.

“It was damage limitation from them, which was understandable, and they were well organised and got bodies behind the ball.”

How the opening half remained scoreless beggared belief as City created 24 scoring chances and managed to convert none.

Vedran Corluka and Martin Petrov were both denied by the woodwork while Faroes keeper Rene Torgard, a mechanic by trade, threw in a further spanner by making a string of fine saves.

City finally broke the spirited resistance of the visitors early in the second half when Darius Vassell created an opening for Petrov who only just squeezed a shot past a defender who was covering on the line.

Elano might have had a second half hat trick while Petrov ought to have doubled his tally but he lobbed over the bar when clean through on goal.

City had to wait until stoppage time before Vassell scored their second, sprinting through the middle on to a long ball and rounding the keeper to score with a cool finish.