City stroll to easy win over Scunny

MANCHESTER City’s wealth has bought great quality and it was more than enough to outclass Scunthorpe at Eastlands to secure a Carling Cup quarter-final slot.

The Championship visitors did their best, but City were just so much better.

Stephen Ireland staked his claim for a regular place in Mark Hughes’ side with a glittering performance and City’s early goal.

Scunthorpe hit back with a Jonathan Forte equaliser and never gave up. But once Roque Santa Cruz headed his first goal for City to restore their lead before the break, there was only going to be one winner.

The second period saw Carlos Tevez outstanding. He scored one and tormented Scunthorpe relentlessly.

Michael Johnson and Joleon Lescott added further goals, and it could easily have been more with substitute Vladimir Weiss missing a late hat-trick as City threatened to run riot.

City made six changes from the side that drew with Fulham on Saturday.

Kolo Toure and Martin Petrov were both injured, with Micah Richards, Wayne Bridge and Craig Bellamy on the bench and Emmanuel Adebayor rested.

Scunthorpe had David Mirfin back after a bout of sickness. Martin Woolford also came into the starting line-up with Jordan Spence reverting to the bench.

Scunthorpe had 4,000 noisy fans with them, and they were boosted by a second minute drive from Paul Hayes that Shay Given saved, with some difficulty, to his left.

But after that City took control.