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Two late goals sent Manchester City into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after a hard-fought 3-1 win over Preston at Deepdale.
Georgios Samaras and Stephen Ireland struck late on to earn Stuart Pearce's side a place in Monday's sixth-round draw, which can be seen live on Sky Sports News.
David Nugent gave Preston the dream start with the opening goal inside ten minutes before Michael Ball cancelled it out with his first goal for City.
City began on the front foot and in the very first minute Micah Richards flicked a header from Joey Barton's corner just wide of the target.
Preston broke the deadlock after eight minutes through Nugent with their first real attack of the game.
Michael Ricketts's powerful header from Danny Pugh's corner was superbly saved by Nicky Weaver, but Nugent reacted quickest to poke the ball home from close-range.
City almost drew level a minute later when Ireland robbed debutant Seyfo Soley of possession on the edge of the box allowing Samaras a sight of goal and his left-footed shot was kept out by Andy Lonergan.
The Premiership side tried to impose themselves on Preston and Bernardo Corradi volleyed over the top from Hatem Trabelsi's cross.
Barton tried his luck from an acute angle on 16 minutes when the ball fell to him wide on the right, but his effort flew into the side-netting.
Preston almost doubled their lead on 23 minutes when Paul McKenna sent Ricketts scampering clear on goal and his shot was well saved by Weaver and Nugent saw his follow up effort blocked by Richard Dunne before Pugh blazed the ball well over the top.
City levelled matters on 35 minutes with Ball scoring his first goal for the club since his arrival in January.
Corradi was unlucky not to score when he flicked the ball up and fired in a brilliant volley which came back off the post and Ball was on hand to smash home the rebound in off the post.
Preston suffered a blow two minutes before the break when Ricketts was stretchered off with a suspected shoulder injury after a heavy fall.
City went close to scoring again right on the stroke of half-time when Trabelsi worked a neat one-two with Corradi before curling a shot over the crossbar.
There was still time left in the half for Nugent to head over the crossbar from Pugh's corner.
City started the brighter of the two sides in the second half and Corradi drove a left-footed shot from inside the box just wide of the target.
Preston created their first opportunity of the second half on 64 minutes when McKenna flicked Pugh's free-kick just over the crossbar.
Ball created an opening for Corradi on 67 minutes with a superb cross from the left, but the big Italian could not direct his header on target.
Three minutes later Trabelsi was afforded a sight of goal after a poor clearance from the Preston defence, but the full-back dragged his shot just wide of the far post.
Barton wasted a good shooting chance from a free-kick on the edge of the box on 75 minutes when he curled his effort well over the crossbar.
City continued to look the more likely to score and Corradi should have done better on 78 minutes when heading Barton's inviting cross off target.
City finally made their dominance count six minutes from time when Samaras struck with a deflected effort.
Corradi flicked on Ball's long throw-in to Samaras who turned and hooked in a shot goalwards which came off Matty Hill before going into the net.
Ireland made the game safe in the final minute with City's third goal with a clinical volley from the edge of the box to end Preston's resistance.
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Source: Sky Sports |
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