JOY and excitement have been regular guests at Eastlands so far this season but they were late for their appointment on Thursday night.

The compatible pair might have been expected to enjoy a lengthy, convivial evening with a small but select gathering of the faithful as City cruised into the group stages of the UEFA Cup, but they didn't turn up until after half-time.

Cyprus football is on a high at present with Anorthosis Famagusta sitting pretty at the top of Group B of the Champions League after a win over Greek rivals Panathinaikos and a draw in Bremen but even so City made hard enough work of this second leg without ever looking in danger of embarrassment.

That Famagusta currently find themselves parked behind Omonia a top the of their domestic league speaks volumes for the Nicosia outfit who arrived in Manchester having won all four league games by a score of 2-0 and were hoping to feed off the soccer-mad island's feelgood factor.

A continuation of that winning sequence would, of course, have been enough for them to cause the biggest shock of last night and dump City out but they were never given even the smallest ray of hope by a Mark Hughes' side that had taken on board some of the painful lessons of Brighton eight days previously.

On that occasion, the trusting City chief wrapped some of his bigger and most creative names in temporary moth-balls and sent out a selection of traditional benchwarmers who never really found the necessary rhythm and pace to deliver a decisive knock-out blow to lowly opponents.

Once bitten, twice shy Hughes decided to unleash Brazil superstar Robinho and England international Shaun Wright-Phillips in attempt to build quickly on the 2-1 away leg lead and then gradually withdraw his main attacking weapons with one eye on fatigue and Sunday's visit from bang in-form Liverpool.

Ben Haim was a late addition in place of skipper Richard Dunne who is suffering from a tight hamstring but should be OK for the weekend.

Sheen

That was hardly a major problem given that the substitutes' seats were stocked with some hardened Euro campaigners in Michael Ball, Didi Hamann and the fit again Martin Petrov.

With the almost incessant rain of the previous two days adding the kind of sheen to the surface that top class players - apart from goalkeepers - adore, City ought to have been able to zip the ball around in mesmerising fashion and with a style and substance that chimed with the audience who were in ready to be enraptured but were never encouraged to reach that state until two goals arrived in seven second-half minutes.

It is safe to assume that most of the stout but limited journeymen that make up the Omonia team had seldom experienced the high-speed passing of which City only showed sporadic glimpses and there was a distinct lack of entertainment in the opening 45 minutes for those in the half-sized crowd who had taken advantage of the cheap ticket offer to brave the October monsoons and ignore the offerings of live television coverage.

That opening half was worrying in as much as the Blues never really managed to limp out of third gear and didn't once test the visiting goalkeeper.

It was hardly what was called for after the lack of guile shown in the final third in losing at Wigan.

Not that it was entirely the Blues' fault. There was some pre-match conjecture as to whether Omonia would come and defend in numbers, so attempting damage limitation, or whether they would adopt the death or glory approach and trade attack for attack with the home side.

The 11 men stationed behind the ball quickly answered that one!

Even so, the Blues might have expected more than off-target shots by Stevie Ireland, who along with Pablo Zabaleta was the pick of the bunch in opening exchanges, and Robinho to show for their territorial domination.

The home side must have had a managerial flea in the ear at the break for the Blues were much better in opening moments of the second half and they took the lead in the 48th minute when Marcello Pletsch made a complete hash of an attempted clearance and Robinho strode forward down the left before pulling back to Brazil team-mate Elano whose superbly hit, low right-footer skidded beyond the despairing dive of Antonis Georgallides.

Seven minutes later is was all over as a contest after Robinho slung a long pass out to Zabaleta who set Wright-Phillips in motion.

He bundled his way into the box and then confidently lashed in his fourth goal since returning from Chelsea.

That should have been the signal for the floodgates to open but instead the travelling Cypriots spent the last ten minutes celebrating substitute Alabi's headed goal.

It was Ben Haim who was looking for excuses, having been beaten to the cross.

City might have added a third through Martin Petrov but for Georgallides' fine save but they will have to play better than this in the group stages - and on Sunday!

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