CITY TROPHY HUNT REMAINS ON COURSE

MANCHESTER CITY are desperate to back up their spending spree with a trophy to show for it at the end of the season and the Carling Cup is one of the top targets on Mark Hughes's hit-list.

Sparky has made it clear this competition is high up on his agenda and the other seven teams remaining in the cup will not want to be paired with the Eastlands outfit when the draw is made on Saturday.

Scunthorpe, the last remaining non-Premier League side in the Carling Cup, were readily dismissed 5-1 and Hughes reckons his squad has never been more powerful.

"We have got virtually everyone back now. We have been able to rest players and the injured ones will be back for the weekend," he said.

"We have a full complement of riches now to choose from, and we are delighted with the positives from this one.

"We gave Roque Santa Cruz his first game, and he was excellent. He got a fine goal and his movement and awareness of people around him was first class.

"He will now grow into his role here. And we had Michael Johnson finally back after his injuries. The goal he scored showed the quality he has, and thankfully he is back fit and well.

"You can then see the talent he has. He has been really missed and we now want him in the side more regularly. He'll be like a new signing considering he's been out for over a year with various injuries.

"You just need to look at the quality of sides left in the tournament to know that clubs are now taking it more seriously.

"They are giving it more significance than they have done in the past. We made a statement right at the beginning that we would take it seriously and have a good run at it.

"We are now in the last eight with a lot of big clubs. We are in good shape, we are playing well and let's hope we get a good draw."

Stephen Ireland advertised his talents with a well-taken opener after collecting a Shaun Wright-Phillips pass and firing past Joe Murphy.

Wright-Phillips twice went close but Scunthorpe stunned the home crowd on 26 minutes when Jonathan Forte made no mistake from a couple of yards out after Joleon Lescott failed to cut out Marcus Williams's cross from the left.

Paul Hayes mustered a further couple of efforts for the visitors but City regained the lead before half time when Santa Cruz produced a textbook headed finish to Pablo Zabaleta's cross.

Wright-Phillips sent over for a corner for Lescott to score his second goal in as many games as the former Everton defender rose well to steer a superb header into the top corner of the net 11 minutes after the break.

Carlos Tevez scored a popular goal that his work-rate deserved when he tucked home another corner when left unmarked and substitute Johnson smashed a 25-yard drive past Murphy for number five.

Highly-rated substitute Vladimir Weiss could have added a sixth as City looked in a determined mood throughout the evening.

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