CAPTAIN Marvel Kolo Toure scored in the 111th minute to send Manchester City through to the Carling Cup last 16 at Eastlands.

Zoltan Gera had put Fulham ahead with a rasping first-half half-volley but Gareth Barry levelled for the Blues.

The game went into extra time but with penalties looming Toure picked the perfect moment to score his first City goal.

The man who captained Arsenal to the 2007 final, where he was sent off in a bad-tempered affair which was nicknamed the Snarling Cup final, soared at the far post to head in Martin Petrov’s corner in extra time.

And that was just the tonic for a City side who looked jaded and listless from their derby exertions, and the disappointing nature of that defeat.

The cure for that derby hangover was always going to be a victory, preferably a swashbuckling, cavalier, high-scoring one.

It was never going to be, and it is at times like this that the bloody-minded attitude which Hughes is trying to instil in his side, both by buying bloody-minded players and by brooking no weakness, needs to shine forth.

And as others flagged, it was Toure – made skipper for this very reason – hurled himself into the fray to head home.

City made one change from the derby, with Pablo Zabaleta coming in for Micah Richards. The obvious outlet was Craig Bellamy on the left, as he was terrorising right back Fredrik Stoor at every turn.

City are probably the strongest team in the competition, given the fact that all of the teams involved in European football – Fulham included – are fielding second strings.

It’s just that in the first half they simply were not showing it.

Gera goal

When Fulham finally came out of their shell, it was to devastating effect. Wayne Bridge was caught out of position, but to blame him, or Shay Given, for what followed would be churlish.

The ball dropped for Zoltan Gera, and the talented Hungarian thrashed a stunning shot into the far corner, Given only able to watch open-mouthed.

Hughes clearly pepped his men up at half time. Full backs Bridge and Zabaleta began to find space and the solid Fulham ranks were being outflanked.

But with the tempo hitting an upbeat, it was only a matter of time before City scored.

It came on 52 minutes, again as Bellamy and Bridge raided down the left. Between them they forced a corner, and when Bellamy struck the flag kick to the far post, Barry was free to thump his header home.

The stage was set for a barnstorming City finish, but it did not materialise.

And so the game moved into extra time, and Hughes introduced young Slovakian international Vlad Weiss for only his second City appearance.

He struggled to stay on his feet at first, but then started to link well with his seniors, and skied one chance of glory over the bar.

Tevez planted a header too close to keeper David Stockdale from Bridge’s cross, but in extra time it was still a laboured effort from the Blues and Bjorn Riise came within inches of netting in the second half of extra time.

The day had begun well enough, with Roque Santa Cruz and Michael Johnson both playing in a behind-closed-doors reserve friendly against Wrexham.

And it ended with a bang as Toure applied the finishing touch.

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