DANIEL Sturridge came off the bench to rescue a point for City against Blackburn in dramatic style.

With the Blues trailing by two goals from Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts, Sturridge first scored with a volley and then lay on an injury time equaliser for Robinho.

The Blues started strongly and had two fine chances early on.

First Felipe Caicedo failed to snaffle a close-range opportunity as he lunged at a Vincent Kompany knock-down - before Robinho missed a close range header with an open goal gaping.

That was the best chance City created during the entire opening period, even if Kompany, Stephen Ireland and Elano all had pot-shots from long-range with little success.

For their part, Rovers existed on scraps, with Brett Emerton’s deep crosses looking like their best route to goal.

As Blackburn dropped to the foot of the table before kick-off it is presumably not the survival strategy their faithful supporters have in mind.

However, it bore fruit in stoppage-time as City’s sloppyness in possession offered Emerton the chance to drive the ball into the visitors’ box.

Response

Roberts turned smartley and McCarthy did the rest, presenting Hughes with a familiar sinking feeling as he delivered his interval team-talk.

There was no immediate response from the visitors as Emerton and Andre Ooijer tested Joe Hart but Shaun Wright-Phillips then went close to levelling when his back header to Elano’s deep cross bounced to safety off a post.

As the first hour proved, creating chances is no problem at all to City, converting them is usually pretty straightforward as well.

It is the lack of defensive nous that is currently preventing them punching anything like their weight at present and for all the talk of Santa Cruz and Craig Bellamy, it is the rearguard reinforcements Hughes makes that will be crucial to City’s improvement and his own job prospects.

The visitors’ commitment to attack and increasing desperation for a goal forced Rovers backwards. Wright-Phillips fired wide, then Robinho curled a shot into Robinson’s chest from 20 yards.

That Hughes then turned to Darius Vassell and Sturridge to salvage the game 20 minutes from time was a damning assessment of £19million former record signing Jo’s ability to turn a game.

But it was Blackburn who scored next after more defensive indecision allowed Roberts to head over Hart.

With defeat looming, Sturridge stepped up his game. First he volleyed home crisply before showing strength and skill to set up Robinho, whose instant control and smart finish earned the point.

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