City new boy Shaun Goater boosted the Blues' hopes of battling their way out
of relegation trouble as they lifted themselves out of the bottom three.
The 28-year-old £500,000 transfer deadline capture struck one goal, set up two
more and could have had a first half hat-trick as City comprehensively avenged
their 3-1 November humiliation to local rivals Stockport.
City boss Joe Royle's decision to sign the Bristol City striker was fully
vindicated.
He scored 19 goals for the Ashton Gate side this season and is promising to
add plenty more for City.
Goater cracked in the all-important first goal on an impressive Maine Road
debut before a 31,855 crowd - City's biggest of the season.
Lee Bradbury also appeared to enjoy Goater's company up front. Considered by
some a £3.5million misfit, the former soldier fired back at his snipers with an
accomplished two-goal salvo.
And the Blues, reshuffled to include Bradbury, Tony Vaughan and Gerard Wiekens
in place of Uwe Rosler, Kakhaber Tskhadadze and Kit Symons, came up trumps with
a committed performance in which hardworking Jamie Pollock was superb.
The £1million signing from Bolton was booked for the third successive match
since arriving at Maine Road but City needed his scrapping qualities.
County refused to go down without a fight and Paul Cook, surprisingly recalled
after fracturing his skull just three weeks ago, tested Martyn Margetson low to
his left with a stinging 25-yard shot.
But after Goater's opener had been equalised by Aaron Wilbraham, Bradbury
ensured the match was over as a contest by bagging two goals to take his tally
for the season to five.
He looked marginally offside for his second when collecting Goater's pass but
kept his composure to rifle a strong left-foot shot past Eric Nixon.
County, to their credit, never stopped trying even though the writing was on
the wall. Chris Byrne went close with a looping volley and further efforts went
close through Kevin Cooper and Wilbraham.
Teams
Man City: Margetson, Jeff Whitley, Edghill, Jobson, Weikens,
Vaughan, Jim Whitley, Pollock, Goater, Bishop, Bradbury.
Subs Not Used: Rosler, Symons, Horlock.
Booked: Edghill, Pollock, Margetson.
Goals: Goater 5, Jobson 32, Bradbury 37, 57.
Stockport: Nixon, Connelly, Woodthorpe, McGoldrick, Flynn,
McIntosh, Cook, Wallwork (Cooper 45), Angell, Wilbraham, Byrne.
Subs Not Used: Grant, Phillips.
Booked: Woodthorpe, Cook, Wallwork.
Goals: Wilbraham 6.
Att: 31,855
Ref: R J Harris (Oxford).
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