MANCHESTER City made their class count at Ashton Gate where goals from Emile Mpenza and Rolando Bianchi secured Carling Cup victory over Bristol City.

The Blues, who made eight changes to the side that lost to Arsenal, dominated the game but were given a scare when Bradley Orr equalised Mpenza's early strike.

However with just nine minutes remaining Bianchi, who had looked sharp all evening, blasted home an impressive winner.

Michael McIndoe had a last minute effort ruled out for offside for the home side, but the Blues survived to go through.

The hosts started brightly and Scott Murray let fly with a volley which Hart saved well low to his right.

Slowly though, the Blues side began to get on top. Gelson Fernandes screwed a shot wide before Mpenza volleyed over after Stephen Ireland combined with Bianchi on the edge of the Bristol City area.

The Belgian left no room for doubt the next time he got a sight of the home goal though, smashing home in fine style after 16 minutes after Bianchi had slipped a neat pass into his path 12 yards out.

Save

Rather than shrink into their shell, the setback seemed to galvanise the hosts.

Hart denied Lee Trundle with a magnificent fingertip save before the striker drilled a fierce shot into the side netting after McIndoe had supplied the pass.

Logan was finding plenty of space down City’s right flank and forced a decent low save out of Chris Weale after Mpenza had supplied the pass.

Ireland fired wide, then Logan took another astute pass from Mpenza, stepped inside Carey but fired wide when he should have done far better.

Michael Ball drilled a long-range effort over as City looked to get a second which would virtually wrap up victory.

Geovanni found Bianchi with a superb defence-splitting pass but the striker spoiled all the good work by lofting a poor shot into the stand behind Weale’s goal.

Chances

The number of missed chances from the visitors was mounting and Bianchi shaved the post with the first opportunity of the second period after Mpenza had again supplied the killer pass.

City were almost made to pay for their profligacy when Hart punched Murray’s corner into the path of Blues old-boy McIndoe.

The midfielder let fly with a first-time volley which forced Hart to produce his best save of the night.

But, after giving their visitors a warning, Bristol City struck back on their next attack as Marvin Elliott rose to meet McIndoe’s free-kick, heading it into the path of Orr, who hooked home from eight yards.

City sides of recent years would have crumbled and for a while, it looked as though they might do so again.

But they survived their tremble and 10 minutes from time, up popped Bianchi, lashing into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

The hosts bombarded their opponents at the end, with McIndoe even finding the net with an impudent injury-time back-heel but the effort was rightly ruled out for offside.

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