Source: Daily_Mail
Manchester City 2 Birmingham 0: Owen Hargreaves scores on debut
Rarely have the holders of a major trophy exited the competition as meekly as Birmingham City did on Wednesday night.[LNB]Fortunately for Chris Hughton's team, their surrender of the Carling Cup was not the story of the evening at the Etihad Stadium.[LNB]Happily there was a rather sunnier tale to tell as Owen Hargreaves he of much talent and little luck returned to competitive football with a goal. He and Mario Balotelli put Birmingham to the sword, but on this occasion the Italy striker was never going to be the centre of discussion.[LNB] Super strike: Owen Hargreaves fires home the first [LNB]MATCH FACTS Man City: Pantilimon 5; Onuoha 6, Savic 6, K Toure 6, Bridge 6 (Rekik 78min); Razak 6 (Scapuzzi 86), Hargeaves 7 (Milner 57, 6); Zabaleta 6, Tevez 5, Kolarov 6; Balotelli 7. [LNB]Subs not used: Taylor, Clichy, Suarez, Aguero.[LNB]Scorers: Hargreaves 17, Balotelli 38 [LNB]Birmingham: Doyle 6; Spector 6, Davies 5, Ibanez 6, Murphy 6; Burke 7, Fahey 6 (Gomis 67, 6), N'Daw 6, Beausejour 7, Redmond 6 (King 78); Rooney 6 (Zigic 67, 6). [LNB]Subs not used: Myhill, Caldwell, Asante, Jervis. [LNB]Attendance: 25,070.[LNB]Referee: Kevin Friend 6.[LNB] [LNB]All the talk at Manchester City's training ground over the last few days had been about the best way to ease Hargreaves through his first competitive game of football for 10 months. It had, after all, been exactly three years to the day since the30-year-old had completed a full game.[LNB]What nobody really expected was for Hargreaves to spank a shot in to the top corner within 20 minutes.[LNB]Of all the things the former Bayern Munich and Manchester United player has been known for during a career that stalled because of injury four years ago, scoring spectacular goalshad not been among them.[LNB]In truth, the debutant had rather ambled his way through the first 15 minutes of the game and looked as though he was playing himself in rather gingerly. That was understandable.[LNB]But in the 17th minute, as the ball ricocheted around on the edge of the Birmingham area, Hargreaves found himself presented with an opportunity he could not resist. Seeing the ball drop perfectly in to his path, he took one touch, swung his right foot through it and watched as it sailed past Birmingham goalkeeper Colin Doyle.[LNB] Fleeting chance: Birmingham's Curtis Davies (right) tries a speculative effort[LNB]It was a key moment for a player released by Manchester United at the end of last season amid fears that he would never be able to play top level football again. [LNB]There is, of course, some way to go for Hargreaves yet. So poor were Birmingham so lacking in life, energyand ambition that this game resembled a practice fixture at times.[LNB] The enforcer: Hargreaves closes down Birmingham's Keith Fahey[LNB]Hargreaves, though, will be delighted. This was a psychological hurdle that had to be overcome and he can look forward to a succession of practice matches arranged over the coming weeks ahead of a return to Barclays Premier League action that has been pencilled in for the other side of the October international break. [LNB]Boss Roberto Mancini had planned to play Hargreaves for 45 minutes. In the end he gave him 11 minutes in thesecond half too and by the time he came off the game was essentially over.[LNB] Change of luck: Hargreaves celebrates his goal with Pablo Zabaleta [LNB]This really was an insipid performance by Birmingham. Much has happened since they beat Arsenal in February's final relegation for one thing and here was a team that looked as though they simply did not believe they could win.[LNB]Hughton's team did come close once.Romanian goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, making his debut for the home side, dropped a cross in the 35th minute and when Curtis Davies executeda decent bicycle kick, Kolo Toure had to clear the ball from the goal-line.[LNB] Holders out: Mario Balotelli makes it 2-0 to the hosts[LNB]Two minutes later, Manchester City doubled their lead. Wayne Bridge played the ball out to Aleksander Kolarov on the left and when the Serb crossed low to the near side of the penalty area, Balotelli applied a neat first-time finish that swept the ball across goal and into the far corner.[LNB]Balotelli and Carlos Tevez both played 90 minutes. The former acquitted himself the better. The goal he scored was a good one and he also came close in the second half, curlinga lovely shot towards goal from 20 yards only to see it land on the topof the net.[LNB] Super Mario: Balotelli is congratulated by Aleksandar Kolarov[LNB]Mancini has been pleased with Balotelli's attitude so far this season. There have been signs of maturity. As for Tevez, things are less clear. He played only in fits and starts and will need to offer greater consistency if he is to persuade Mancini to break up the partnership of Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko in the League.[LNB]Tevez did run clear with five minutesleft but his shot was saved. On a big night for Hargreaves, not everyone in blue seemed to enjoy themselves quite as much.[LNB] Toure to make up for missed time as defender prepares for Man City returnLIVE CARLING CUP: All the third round action as it happenedPoints put on Tevez licence after City striker pleads guilty to speedingHargreaves eyes England recall as midfielder prepares for Manchester City bowRemember when they all took the Carling Cup seriously?All the latest Manchester City news, features and opinion[LNB]
