Manchester City 2 EB Streymur 0

Rene Torgard was cheered off the Oakwell pitch after the part-time goalkeeper from the Faroe Islands defied almost everything hurled at him, but even he could not defy such massive odds all night. 

Martin Petrov and Darius Vassell eventually prised the goals that confirmed City’s place in today’s UEFA Cup draw and left manager Mark Hughes to take a philosophical view as he ponders the evidence.

Hughes said: ‘You have to be disappointed we only got two but they defended really well. It was damage limitation for them but when a team are organized and get bodies behind the ball it can be difficult.

Opening gambit: Petrov celebrates putting City ahead

‘On another day, with their keeper not having such a good night, we’d have won by a fair margin. But we’re through to the next round and that was the order of the day.’

City’s chances were legion - they created 36 attempts on goal and despite Torgard’s undoubted heroics, the 29-yearold mechanic’s efforts were not the only thing that threw an untimely spanner in the works.

Hughes has not only been working his players hard at the Carrington training complex he has dubbed the football factory.

He has also been considering his limited striking options as the Premier League season looms.

Losing Benjani with a torn thigh muscle and then waving off £18million Brazilian Jo to the Olympics had highlighted the problem before last night.

Darius Vassell has never been prolific unless he is facing Aston Villa, while the rich promise of Daniel Sturridge and Ched Evans will not be realised in time to offer City a flying start to a big season for Hughes.

No wonder Blackburn are getting nervous. Roque Santa Cruz, even at the £15m price tag Hughes’s old club are sure to present as an obstacle, looks like an answer to the problem based on his goal-laden displays last season.

Hughes said: ‘I’m looking for good players, not only strikers, but if they’re available at the right price we’ll have a go.’ It was maybe an ominous sign that City’s scorers in the first leg a fortnight ago in Torshavn were midfielders Petrov and Didi Hamann.

Clearly, City were trying to send the Faroe Islanders home with an emphatic defeat to ponder. It seemed every player bar goalkeeper Joe Hart was trying to get in on the act.

Vedran Corluka, raring to go after returning from Euro 2008 duty with Croatia, rattled the crossbar with a first-half header that deserved a goal.

Then, in first-half injury-time, Petrov rapped the post and Bardur Olsen had to scramble a Sturridge header off his line.

Once Petrov’s cool finish at the far post to convert Vassell’s low cross broke the deadlock after 48 minutes, there was no real hope for the part-timers.

But it was not until the match was drifting into time added on that substitute Evans fed Vassell to go around the goalkeeper for a late second goal that still could not silence 1,000 magnificent Faroese fans.

MANCHESTER CITY (4-4-2): Hart; Corluka, Dunne, Richards, Ball; Elano,
Fernandes (Hamann 62min), Johnson, Petrov (Etuhu 70); Vassell, Sturridge (Evans 70). Booked: Fernandes.

EB/STREYMUR (4-5-1): Torgard; Bardor Olsen, Bo, Djurhuus, Niclassen; A Hansen (Balog 61), Anghel, Clementsen, Jacobsen (Thomasen 78), Samuelsen; Foldgast (Brian Olsen 55).

Referee: Augustus Constantin (Rom).

Man of the match: Rene Torgard.