Boro no bother for Mancini as Benjani keeps cold at bay

Middlesbrough 0 Manchester City 1

(ap)

It may have already developed something of a cult following, but despite its unbeaten status, Roberto Mancini revealed that there is no hint of superstition behind his "lucky" scarf. After three comfortable victories now, all accompanied by clean sheets, the Italian had more pragmatic reasons for sticking with his much discussed blue and white fashion accessory at a blizzard-hit Riverside. "Is it lucky? I don't know," he said. "You could see the main reason why I needed it today was to keep out the cold. In fact I could have done with two at least."

The Manchester City manager had a point. Several coach-loads of City fans were turned round en route due to the cross-Pennine conditions which restricted the turn-out to just over 12,000 on one of the worst days to travel in the North of England in recent memory. To think Middlesbrough's rationale for sacking Gareth Southgate in October was their alarm at plummeting crowds. Gordon Strachan, who has just two victories in his 11 games in charge, must be a worried man right now as the club continues to nosedive on and off the pitch.

The hosts were stymied in their efforts to spring a shock by the early loss of Adam Johnson with a recurrence of a hamstring injury which denied them of their most eye- catching player. Middlesbrough enjoyed plenty of possession, but barring a second-half header from Rhys Williams which landed on the roof of the net, City goalkeeper Shay Given will earn few easier clean sheets this season.

City's place in the fourth round was never in doubt once Benjani, taking advantage of a rare start, scored for the first time in 13 months with a confident finish from the edge of the area in first-half stoppage-time courtesy of a surging 50-yard run from the midfielder Martin Petrov which cut a swathe through the hosts.

"We're delighted to get through," said Mancini (right). "This is a competition that's important for us and it's something we want to pay our full attention to." It's a prioritisation that is hardly surprising, with City being a combined total of five wins away from two Wembley finals this season.

Mancini hopes to be at Old Trafford today, where Manchester United host Leeds, to see at first hand City's opponents in Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final first leg. With that in mind, the Italian named more than £30 million-worth of talent on the bench in making five changes from the side that swept Wolves aside, bringing on Gareth Barry, Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy after the break to help ensure only a second victory on Teesside for more than 32 years.

The previous five sides to beat Boro in the FA Cup have all gone on to be losing finalists, and Mancini added: "We've got a big problem at the moment because we have a lot of players injured so I made changes today because I can't play my players all the time. I'm pleased with the start we've made so far. When you come into a new job you want to do well and we're doing that." Shaun Wright-Phillips hopes to return in midweek, but Micah Richards is a doubt. He was withdrawn at the interval with a thigh problem.

Strachan, whose pre-match assessment of the tie being akin to his side possessing water pistols against City's machine guns proved rather appropriate, felt there were plenty of mitigating factors in the seventh defeat of his far from impressive reign.

"We lost Adam Johnson early to injury and that was a big blow," he insisted. "We had a 19-year-old making his home debut and a 16-year-old coming off the bench so we need to bring in players who can help them. But I suppose whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Attendance: 12,474

Referee: Stuart Attwell

Man of the match: Petrov

Match rating: 6/10