Mancini upbeat after City draw

By Jonathan Witty   Last updated: 14th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Mancini upbeat after City draw

Mancini: Pleased by second-half display

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Italian frustrated by slow start

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is optimistic about his side's chances of UEFA Champions League qualification after super-sub Adam Johnson secured a late equaliser against Sunderland.

City went behind to a Kenwyne Jones header in the ninth minute and looked to have missed the chance to make up ground on fourth-placed Tottenham until Johnson fired home a classy equaliser in added time.

Mancini revealed his frustrations at his side's first-half display, but was buoyed by their drastic improvement in the second period.

He said: "We started very slowly and we didn't play very well in the first half, but in the second half we had six, seven, eight chances to score a goal.

"But this is football - if you don't score you won't win."

Frustration

He added: "I was not angry at half-time, just frustrated that we conceded a goal, but I was happy with the second-half performance and we had some very good chances.

"I am disappointed overall, but we have one game in hand and we must play Tottenham at home.

"If we want to reach fourth spot it is important that we win this game."

Wayne Bridge was the unfortunate casualty of Mancini's first-half tactical shake-up as he was substituted after 33 minutes, but the former Inter Milan coach shrugged off suggestions that he was angry at the defender.

He said: "We conceded an early goal and Bridge was not playing well in the first half, but he is also carrying a bit of a knock."