BELEAGURED Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce was handed a lifeline as his players snatched a precious Barclays Premiership victory at Middlesbrough.

The former England international, who headed for Teesside with his employment prospects far from encouraging, set off home with three points and the cheers of his club's travelling supporters ringing in his ears just days after facing a torrent of abuse at Blackburn.

Sylvain Distin's 61st-minute strike - only the club's second in seven league games - and Emile Mpenza's first for the club, 17 minutes from time, ended a run of five successive Premiership defeats and eased the pressure on chairman John Wardle to act.

The only disappointment for Pearce was an injury which forced Micah Richards off before the break, causing concern too for England boss Steve McClaren.

Gareth Southgate's gamble in leaving Jonathan Woodgate and Mark Viduka out of his starting line-up ahead of Monday night's FA Cup quarter-final replay at Manchester United backfired spectacularly.

A large proportion of the 26,427 spectators who were there for the start had long gone by the time the final whistle sounded, but those who were left made their feelings abundantly clear with an injury to Emanuel Pogatetz adding to their woes.

Missed chances

By the time Pearce headed for the dressing room at half-time, he could not have been unhappy with much of what he had seen in the opening 45 minutes, but would have been acutely aware of how costly missed chances could prove.

In a half of few genuine opportunities, City enjoyed two of the best, midfielder Joey Barton dragging a fifth-minute shot wide of the far post and Mpenza missing with a header when the goal was at his mercy 24 minutes later.

That they were not made to pay for their wastefulness was at least a consolation for Pearce and the travelling supporters, who got behind their side from the off as memories of last weekend's anger and disappointment at Blackburn were put to one side.

Indeed, as the teams left the pitch at the break, the boos came from the home fans and were directed at his players rather than Southgate.

His decision to rest key men Woodgate and Viduka as Julio Arca missed out with a groin strain ahead of the trip to Old Trafford was perfectly understandable.

That handed a first senior start to South Korea international Dong Gook Lee and a rare chance for Jason Euell.

However, Pogatetz's departure on a stretcher after just 10 minutes meant an early reshuffle, and although the Teessiders threatened briefly with Stewart Downing revelling in space down down the left, they struggled to trouble keeper Andreas Isaksson.

Downing forced the keeper into a 24th-minute save and Abel Xavier headed wide from the resulting corner, but Boro were well below par.

Southgate's response was to withdraw Lee at the break, although it was not Viduka who replaced him.

Wide

Instead, substitute James Morrison was asked to play wide on the right as Lee Cattermole pushed inside and Euell was asked to support lone striker Ayegbeni Yakubu from a central position.

But it was City who started the second half the brighter, keeper Mark Schwarzer needing two attempts to collect substitute Georgios Samaras' header from a 49th-minute Darius Vassell cross.

The visitors had taken control and Schwarzer was called up once again to keep out Barton's near-post strike five minutes later with his defence in some disarray.

Xavier handed City a chance to go for goal on 59 minutes after he upended midfielder Michael Johnson 30 yards out, although Viduka's emergence from the dug-out to warm up was greeted warmly by the home contingent in the stands at the Riverside Stadium.

Skipper Richard Dunne drilled the free-kick into the defensive wall, but his side was ahead two minutes later.

Boro failed to deal with Barton's corner and when Mpenza headed the ball back across goal, Distin had time to control before slamming a shot into the roof of the net.

Yakubu sent a 64th-minute header inches wide and Southgate immediately sent on Viduka in place of Euell in a bid to find a way back into the game.

However, the points had gone with 17 minutes remaining when the impressive Barton picked off Cattermole's loose pass and slid the ball in to Mpenza, whose instinctive finish sent the travelling fans into raptures.

The Belgian was booked for over-celebrating, but Pearce could have been forgiven had he joined him after an intensely difficult week ended with a first win at Boro since 1977.

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