Before the game, City's anguished players paraded a banner thanking their long-suffering fans for their loyal support. And City's largest gate of the season 32,040 were treated to an exhilarating contest, as both sides battled to attain safety.

Joy Royle reinstated Georgi Kinkladze to the starting line-up, in the hope that he could inspire the home side to their first win in four games. And it took the little Georgian international only 40 seconds to raise a cheer from the Maine Road faithful that must have been heard in Portsmouth and Stoke.

Fouled 30 yards out by Nigel Quashie, Kinkladze picked himself up dusted himself down and curled an exquisite left-foot shot into the bottom of keeper Lee Harper's goal. Maine Road erupted.

Two points behind Stoke before play, everyone knew this was the game City needed to win in order to make the last-day trip to Britannia Stadium a little easier on the nerves. And they could have been celebrating a second goal only minutes later when giant striker Shaun Goater turned in the box and fired over. That miss proved costly, as on eight minutes Rangers drew level.

Tony Vaughan guided the ball back to keeper Martyn Margetson under pressure from Kevin Gallen, but the keeper needlessly handled and conceded a free-kick close to goal.

Quick-thinking Gallen snatched the ball from Margetson and tapped it to ex-City striker Mike Sheron who made no mistake from six yards out. Maine Road fell silent.

It almost got worse when the tireless Quashie threaded a through ball past a square City defence for winger Steve Slade, but the ex-Spurs man could only screw his shot wide from the edge of the box.

However a minute later, on 22 minutes, Rangers took the lead in bizzarre fashion. Jamie Pollock intercepted a hopeful ball from David Bardsley. When it dropped, he agonisingly headed it past Margetson who was dashing off his line to pick it up. The City skipper held his head in his hands.

Rangers could have extended their lead almost immediately. Good work by Quashie and Sheron put Gallen in on the right and he cut in before firing a low drive just past Margetson's left-hand post.

Kinkladze, who had drifted out of the game, brought the crowd to their feet with a typically weaving run which ended with an exquisite reverse pass, but Richard Edghill's cross was just too high for Goater.

City continued to press in a breathtaking half, and Lee Bradbury fired straight at Harper. On the half-hour, Bradbury was again the culprit, screwing a right-foot drive wide of the mark, after Pollock's cross had been deflected.

And City must have thought their luck was really out when they hit the bar twice in a hectic three-minute spell. First Pollock almost made amends for his earlier error, driving a 20-yard shot which bounced down and out with Harper well beaten. Then Kevin Horlock also hit the bar, after the over-worked keeper had done well to block Bradbury's shot.

At the other end Danny Maddix headed just over, and Gallen thought he should have had a penalty after being brought down by Kit Symons.

Rangers replaced Mike Sheron with Matthew Rose at half-time, no doubt concious of the fact that a point would almost certainly see them safe. But their lead lasted only three minutes, as Goater chested down a Horlock cross before sliding the ball to Bradbury, who made no mistake drilling the ball home from six yards.

That goal gave City heart, and they pushed for the winner. Edghill had a shot from the edge of the box saved at the second attempt by Harper, and on the hour the same player drove a 20-yarder narrowly wide of the keeper's left-hand post.

Rangers' attacks were becoming more sporadic, but the lively Gallen kept Symons and Vaughan busy with a couple of sprints through the middle. Both managers made substitutions as limbs tired, but chances became few and far between at both ends.

Paul Dickov, on for Kinkladze, made a great run on the right, and his low cross almost found Goater lurking at the back post, but Harper intercepted well.

The match ended with Rangers' Quashie being dismissed for violent conduct after striking Dickov in an off-the-ball incident. So City go to Stoke next week knowing only a win will guarantee them First Division football next season.

Teams

Man City: Margetson, Edghill, Horlock, Brannan (Russell 88), Symons, Vaughan, Whitley, Pollock (Bishop 84), Goater, Kinkladze (Dickov 73), Bradbury.

Booked: Kinkladze.

Goals: Kinkladze 1, Bradbury 48.

QPR: Harper, Bardsley, Baraclough, Jones, Maddix, Ruddock (Heinola 70), Yates, Quashie, Sheron (Rose 46), Gallen, Slade (Peacock 79).

Sent Off: Quashie (87).

Booked: Baraclough, Ruddock.

Goals: Sheron 8, Pollock 21 og.

Att: 32,040

Ref: K A Leach (Wolverhampton).