Given takes the plaudits for City

Man City 1, Middlesbrough 0

WHEN Manchester City fans reflect on another so-so season in the Premier League, which of Mark Hughes’ many multi-million pound signings will they say made the most impact?

Forget about Robinho. On the evidence of his sensational debut, there is only one contender . . . Shay Given.

City were better than an ailing Middlesbrough team who are staring relegation from the Premier League in the face. They deserved their win. But without the goalkeeper’s inspired performance many more questions will have been asked of their manager.

Hughes was grateful to the Irishman, and the £8m City paid Newcastle United for his services looks a snip after he denied Boro’s Afonso Alves time and again.

Given, at 32, also reckons he has yet to reach his peak, but he may need to improve if the City backline continues to serve up chance after chance for their opponents.

For Hughes, his move for the Magpies shot-stopper in the January transfer window was fully vindicated.

He said: “Off the top of my head I can’t think of a better goalkeeping debut. Shay was exceptional.

“I thought he was a calming influence on our back four, which was very young in terms of experience and the amount of games they’ve played together.

“Whatever he was asked to do, he did it without any real theatre.

“It was my decision bring Shay’s experience to the club. Just on this performance alone, people will understand why I wanted him here.”

Alves must have been rubbing his hands together in anticipation before kick-off after scoring four goals in his previous two games against City. But he didn’t bank on Given.

His first stop was the best of the lot, showing brilliant reactions to keep out the Brazilian’s full-blooded effort from eight yards.

Given also adjusted his body to block a swerving shot and denied Alves for a third time in the first half with an outstretched right leg.

If Hughes was thankful for his latest signing then so was Vincent Kompany. The defender made an absolute mess of clearing Stewart Downing’s hopeful ball midway through the second period, but Given got down low to push away an Alves shot.

Craig Bellamy is sure to run Given close in the popularity stakes. They were team-mates in the black-and-white of Newcastle and they are now proving effective at opposite ends of the pitch at Eastlands.

He should have scored in the third minute, but Brad Jones sprinted to the edge of his penalty area to block his shot. The Boro ‘keeper made an even better save to thwart Bellamy on the half-hour mark.

But the £14m man made up for those near misses with the second-half winner, cutting inside Boro captain Emanuel Pogatetz before finding the bottom right-hand corner of net for his sixth goal in the his last seven Premier League games.

With Robinho’s contributions starting to dry up — the Brazilian has now gone four matches without scoring — the fiery Welshman has become City’s most potent weapon in attack.

Hughes said: “It shows the value of going into the transfer market and bringing in guys who understand the Premier League and as a consequence they can come to your club and hit the ground running. That’s certainly what Craig has done.

“He is having a big influence on and off the field as you would expect, so we are delighted with the impact that he’s having. He’s a great professional and wants the team to succeed.”

Robinho, who had little influence on the game, wasted a great chance to double City’s lead, while Stephen Ireland hit the top of the crossbar with a first-half header.

But one goal was enough and City, although still some way short of the finished article, can at least start to look up while Gareth Southgate’s Boro, who have now gone 13 league games without a win, appear destined for more difficult times ahead.