Elano heads City~into next round

The winner came in the 73rd minute when Martin Petrov burst to the byline before putting in a fine cross that Rolando Bianchi headed straight against the post. Elano reacted the quickest diving bravely to head into an empty net.

In a first half of few chances West Ham had the best chance when a Luis Boa Morte cross was met on the volley by a stretching Dean Ashton.

A tackle by Lucas Neill on Nery Castillo resulted in the striker falling awkwardly and was stretchered off with a suspected dislocated shoulder.

West Ham stepped up the tempo in an attempt to equalise and would have but for a great piece of defending from Micah Richards, who denied Ashton a simple headed goal.