CITY called on their famed powers of recovery to come from a goal behind midway through the second half to reach the last eight of the FA Youth Cup.

But they were pushed all the way by a plucky Bristol side that for spells either side of the interval were the better side in a hugely entertaining contest.

The Blues trailed with 24 minutes to go only for Daniel Sturridge, cleared to play by Sven-Goran Eriksson, to smash a late brace to add to the two that strike partner David Ball grabbed earlier.

"It was a game that could have gone either way and great advert for the youth game," said a relieved Academy chief Jim Cassell.

"You have to give credit to Bristol, who were excellent on the night as we knew they would be. Luckily, we came on top and full marks to the lads for showing great character and coming back from a goal down - again.

"What impressed me most was that we stuck to our game plan and never panicked when we fell behind."

For the first time in this cup campaign the Blues took an early lead after some nifty footwork by Valdimir Weiss left the Bristol defence so mesmerised that Donal McDermott was able to take a short corner and thread a peach of a reverse pass to David Ball, who netted from eight yards.

It was no more than the Blues deserved as they passed crisply and moved intelligently and with purpose.

Finishing

Slovakian bag of tricks Weiss was the attacking spearhead teasing and tantalising the home defence with his step-overs, but Manchester failed to subdue the home side that produced a spirited response.

They merited their equaliser just after the half hour. Tristan Plummer was the architect down the inside right channel and Marion Jackson applied the finishing touch from close range.

Having drawn level, Bristol then bossed the remainder of the half and would have taken a lead into the break had Robert Stambolziev not headed over from point blank range.

They weren't left ruing that miss for long because 10 minutes after the break the elusive Plummer latched on to a loose ball to hare into the area, where Hartley dragged him down.

The keeper was lucky to escape without a card of any description and then unfortunate not to save Stambolziev's weakly-hit spot kick.

The game almost went beyond the visitors when Luke Wilkinson's 63rd-minute effort thumped against the base of the post and they were left lamenting that miss when a previously quiet Sturridge burst into life with a raking shot that Megyeri Balazs couldn't hold, leaving the alert Ball to snaffle the rebound.

And as City finished strongly, prompted by sub Angelos Tsiaklis, it was Sturridge who had the last laugh in the final quarter of an hour.

First, two dummies were followed by a thunderous shot from a difficult angle to put the Blues 3-2 in front and then he smashed a stunning fourth with his `wrong' right foot.

City now travel to Plymouth in the quarter finals.

CITY: Hartley, Trippier, McGivern, Boyata, Mee, Tutte, Weiss, Kay, Ball, Sturridge, McDermott (Tsiaklis 60). Not used: Clegg, Nimley, Ibrahim and Mak.

ATTENDANCE: 4,233

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