Manchester City moved a step nearer to the Premiership as Darren Huckerby's hat-trick gave them a deserved victory over Nottingham Forest.

Huckerby finished coolly in the 40th and 45th minutes before securing the points with an 84th-minute third from the penalty spot.

Forest were decidedly second-best in a game that emphasised why City have opened up a five-point gap at the head of the First Division.

The visitors, looking for their first win in five games, started brightly and Riccardo Scimeca wasted the first chance of the game by dragging a long-range shot wide after just three minutes.

City soon settled and their midfield five quickly gained the upper hand with Ali Benarbia and Kevin Horlock especially prominent.

The visitors were happy to sit deep at this stage, looking to hit the First Division leaders on the break, and Andrew Reid tested Carlo Nash with a cross-shot after cutting in from the left touchline.

City should have taken the lead after 18 minutes when Scimeca failed to deal with a Niclas Jensen cross and as the ball dropped to Shaun Goater just six yards out the Bermudan's 31st goal of the season seemed a formality.

It was easier to score than miss but he managed to do the latter by drilling the ball over the crossbar.

If that was a let-off for Forest they failed to heed the warning as Benarbia missed an almost identical close-range opportunity just two minutes later.

The league leaders were dominating proceedings at this stage but the all-important first goal failed to come as Goater spurned another good opportunity, volleying over in the 26th minute.

That was just a temporary reprieve though, as Huckerby's 20th goal of the season put City in front.

Horlock released the former Leeds and Newcastle striker with a magnificent 50-yard ball over the top and Huckerby made no mistake, volleying past Darren Ward into the bottom corner.

Goal number 21 followed just five minutes later as Forest's defence began to crumble under the weight of City pressure. Goater played Huckerby in and the 25-year-old drilled home from the left side of the box.

The half-time team-talks did little to change the course of the game as the second-half started with the Maine Road side firmly in the ascendancy.

Veteran defender Stuart Pearce went close in the 47th minute but his powerful shot sailed narrowly over the crossbar.

Kevin Keegan's side were playing like champions-elect at this stage and Huckerby almost grabbed a hat-trick on the hour mark but put his left-foot strike high of the target.

Chinese international Sun Jihai impressed in his first start in a City shirt and the Forest defence failed to deal with his 64th-minute cross, only for Goater to see his close-range strike superbly saved by Ward.

Nash, on the other hand, had little to do all game but he was called into action just seconds later to grab Reid's left-foot snapshot.

Forest manager Paul Hart had one last throw of the dice with 20 minutes remaining, making a triple substitution to freshen up his attacking options.

That move had little impact and Goater should have put City out of sight in the 73rd minute, only for Ward to make another great save to keep out his close-range effort.

It was Huckerby's day though and he completed his hat-trick with six minutes left. Jensen was brought down by Matthieu Louis-Jean and Huckerby confidently sent Ward the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Teams

Man City: Nash, Dunne (Mettomo 69), Howey, Pearce (Mears 84), Jihai, Wright-Phillips, Horlock, Benarbia, Jensen, Goater (Macken 73), Huckerby.

Subs Not Used: Royce, Wiekens.

Booked: Mettomo.

Goals: Huckerby 40, 45, 84 pen.

Nottm Forest: Ward, Louis-Jean, Scimeca, Hjelde, Brennan, Prutton, Gray, Williams, Bopp (Jones 70), Harewood (Westcarr 70), Reid (Cash 70).

Subs Not Used: Formann, Michael Dawson.

Att: 34,345

Ref: M Jones (Chester).