MANCHESTER City endured a frustrating afternoon at Eastlands after a goalless stalemate with West Brom - with the home fans left cursing a bizarre decision by referee Chris Foy.

With on-loan Chris Kirkland equal to all City’s half chances in a game lacking true quality and West Brom midfielder Zoltan Gera nodding the best opportunity of the entire contest wide just before the interval, the game seemed to be meandering towards a close until Ronnie Wallwork collapsed in agony five minutes from time.

Junichi Inamoto ignored his team-mate’s plight and played on. But when he was robbed, Foy blew his whistle to stop the game, just as City were about to break clean through.

The decision incensed the Blues camp, in particular Danny Mills, who raced to Foy to express his displeasure. Wallwork immediately jumped to his feet and argued back, launching a 10-man push and shove match which saw both players booked in what proved to be one of the most entertaining moments of an otherwise disappointing contest.

The absence of Richard Dunne, whose foot injury has not yet healed, had left a gaping hole in City’s central defence as skipper Sylvain Distin had already been ruled out with a groin problem.

In the absence of his first-choice pairing, Blues boss Stuart Pearce turned to Stephen Jordan and David Sommeil, whose last Premiership start came at Portsmouth in January 2004.

Nevertheless, Sommeil made light of his lengthy absence. The Frenchman stood up to the early physical threat of Kevin Campbell and Kanu and also got himself in the way of a couple of Jonathan Greening crosses that threatened danger.

Trevor Sinclair, another man not seen in a City shirt for a considerable period of time, also impressed, gliding in off his right-flank at times to provide admirable support to new striker partners Andy Cole and Darius Vassell, who found trying to break through the Baggies defence heavy going.

Cole did have one decent chance before the interval but failed to direct a header past Kirkland when Kiki Musampa floated over a left wing cross.

Tested

Kirkland, the only new face in Bryan Robson’s starting line-up, was tested far more seriously by the long-range efforts of Joey Barton and Claudio Reyna, who both went for goal from 20 yards.

On each occasion, the Liverpool keeper, who many still believe to be a future England regular, needed to scramble, first to his right, then to the left, but managed to claw the shots round.

None of City’s opportunities came close to being as clear as the one Gera was presented with 11 minutes from the break.

Greening had already threatened danger from his left-wing berth when he floated a cross onto the Hungarian’s head barely eight yards from the home goal.

Totally unmarked, it should have been a routine finish. Instead, Gera inexplicably nodded wide, holding his head in frustration as he recognised how good the chance was he had just spurned.

Campbell’s ability to read Kanu’s flick-on in the opening minutes of the second period provided the Baggies skipper with an equally clear chance. Yet again though it went begging as Campbell, having run beyond City’s defence, could only drill his shot against David James’ legs.

In a contest fought out with the tenacity both managers exuded in their playing days, there was a light-hearted moment when Stuart Pearce, manically patrolling the touchline in his usual manner, charged into West Brom’s technical area attempting to retrieve the ball for a quick City throw.

With Robson staring out onto the pitch organising his team, Pearce lost his footing and skidded into his old England team-mate, who thankfully retained the strength to prevent both men hitting the ground in undignified fashion.

It was a pity neither side could summon up the guile to go with their undeniable effort.

The half a yard of pace age has taken from Cole’s legs meant he couldn’t run away from the Baggies defence when Thomas Gaardsoe’s wayward header landed at his feet. And, after checking inside, the veteran striker’s low shot was easily saved by Kirkland.

James was almost embarrassed at the other end when Gera’s cross drifted towards the top corner, forcing the England keeper to scramble back and claw away.

Other than that, the match degenerated into a midfield skirmish in which neither side was prepared to back down.

City launched a late rally which might have brought them a goal but Kiki Musampa nodded Reyna’s cross wide before Kirkland proved equal to the shot which accompanied Barton’s midfield burst.

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