City boss's praise for Sunderland
MANCHESTER City manager Roberto Mancini wasn't surprised to be given a tough examination by a Sunderland side that seems to have rediscovered its belief.
It took an injury-time goal from, perhaps inevitably, Sunderland fan Adam Johnson to give the visitors a draw after the Black Cats got off to a great start, bossing the first half and leading through Kenwyne Jones's ninth-minute goal.
Jones departed injured for the second half and the power balance tipped in City's favour, with the home side having goalkeeper Craig Gordon to thank for preserving the lead until Johnson's last-gasp intervention.
Mancini said: "I am happy because we scored a goal in the last minute, but I am frustrated because in the first half we started the game very slowly and we conceded a goal too easily.
"Sunderland played good football in the first half. We knew that Sunderland, in the last two games, played well, and we knew they would be difficult.
"After 20 minutes I thought that we had some problems in attack, so I changed Bridge for Santa Cruz, but we were not playing well.
"In the second half it was very different. Four or five times we had good chances to score, but we didn't take the chances.
"The Sunderland goalkeeper was fantastic. He saved everything."
Sunderland have now dropped eight points to injury-time goals, and Johnson – who left Middlesbrough in January and chose City ahead of a sentimental move to the club he supported as a boy – was the man to break their hearts this time.
The home side had partially cleared a corner from the right, but Johnson picked up the loose ball and curled a perfect shot into the top corner, beyond Jordan Henderson's leap.
Being back in the Premier League should help Johnson's England hopes, but Mancini questioned whether the Easington-born winger could make it into Fabio Capello's squad this summer.
He said: "Adam is a good player, but is a young player. I think that in the future he will be a good player for the national team, but now I don't know.
"I think the England national team has a good manager, and he knows very well Adam Johnson and he will decide.
"He scored a fantastic goal. I am happy for him and happy for us."
The point from City's 11th draw of the season leaves them fifth in the Premier League, two points behind Spurs with a game in hand on the Londoners.
Mancini's men must still play Spurs and Aston Villa at home, and the Italian pinpointed these as key games.
He added: "If we want to finish fourth we must win these games. I think that we have a good chance."
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Friday 10 February 2012
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