Bolton win pleases Mancini

Mancini: Up to fifth after midweek win

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Roberto Mancini was pleased by Manchester City's response to the weekend defeat to Hull City as they beat Bolton 2-0 at Eastlands.

Saturday's KC Stadium reverse was Mancini's second Premier League defeat as City manager and the Italian tactician demanded a reaction for the visit of the Trotters on Tuesday night.

Mancini handed home debuts to veteran midfielder Patrick Vieira and deadline day signing Adam Johnson and both players provided assists to help City draw level with Liverpool in the race for a UEFA Champions League berth.

Johnson won a 31st minute penalty which allowed Carlos Tevez to continue his fine run in front of goal before Vieira set up Emmanuel Adebayor to net his ninth of the campaign and the former Inter Milan boss was happy with the result.

"After one victory it's all better," Mancini joked to the Sky Sports cameras.

"We started the game very well but we knew it would be a difficult match Bolton played and in some situations we were under pressure but overall it was a good result."

Expected

Johnson proved he deserved his first start in City colours as he produced a man-of-the-match performance to inspire the Blues to their midweek success and Mancini insisted he expected the 22-year-old to play so well by what he had seen in training.

"I saw him three or four times and now in the last four days I think he is a good young player and he must improve in the future but he is an important player," he said.

Mancini is hoping the likes of Joleon Lescott and Vieira made good use of the victory ahead of a big month for City's top four hopes.

"It is important that Patrick finished the game and played the whole game," said the Italian, who takes on Liverpool and Chelsea in February.

"It is an important month but it is important we have players recover like Lescott and Patrick and the other players and we can play against Liverpool and Chelsea."

Lescott managed to get 40 minutes of football under his belt but it came at the cost of captain Kolo Toure, who was forced off with a reoccurrence of a knee problem.

But Mancini had spoken to the club's doctors and expects the Ivory Coast defender to be fit for the trip to Stoke.

"I don't think it is a big problem," he added of Toure's injury.