Blues belittle Owls again

Report from Sporting-Life

Manchester City closed the gap on Wolves at the top of the Nationwide First Division to five points with a comprehensive win over Sheffield Wednesday at Maine Road.

Kevin Horlock opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a superb 30-yard trike and Darren Huckerby made it two with a 20-yard effort just after the half-hour mark. Eyal Berkovic settled the game against the struggling Owls in the 76th minute and Shaun Goater notched his 29th of the season late on to make it four.

After their FA Cup exit at Newcastle and goalless draw with Walsall, Kevin Keegan's men got back to winning ways in style to cut Wolves' lead at the top of the First Division back down to five points. Wednesday were looking to gain revenge for their 6-2 mauling at Hillsborough earlier this season but finished on the wrong end of another thrashing after struggling to cope with the pace of Huckerby.

The visitors started brightly and David Johnson almost gave them the lead in their eighth minute when he got behind the City defence but was denied by Nicky Weaver. That miss proved costly for The Owls as City took the lead with a spectacular strike seconds later, Horlock picking the ball up 30 yards out and smashing a superb left-footed strike over Kevin Pressman for his fifth goal of the season.

Huckerby wasted two good chances to double the lead, including a left foot shot which clipped the outside of the post, but he made amends in the 32nd minute. The lively striker cut in from the right and from 20 yards hit a left foot shot which gave Pressman no chance.

Wednesday created several chances of their own in the first-half with Shefki Kuqi flashing a header just wide and Alan Quinn going close with a curling 20-yard free-kick.

Half-time: Man.City 2-0 Owls

Goater wasted great chances for a third goal either side of the break and Danny Tiatto was unlucky to see his shot hit the inside of the post in 48th minute. Berkovic killed Wednesday's hopes off in the 73rd minute when he rounded off a well-worked move with a fine right-footed finish into Pressman's bottom right corner.

Huckerby should have added a fourth when referee Paul Durkin adjudged that he had been upended by Ashley Westwood in a goalmouth scramble - but his penalty was kept out by Pressman, diving to his right.

Goater wasted another glorious chance when he found himself in acres of space in the area - but was denied by Pressman.

Wednesday's misery was complete two minutes from time though as Goater got on the scoresheet by firing home from the edge of the area following a mix-up with the visitors' defence. The only downside for City boss Keegan was an injury to Shaun Wright-Philips, who was stretchered off in first-half injury time.