Man City steals UEFA trials

MANCHESTER. Manchester City avoided a tragedy of Hamlet proportions against Denmark's Midtjylland on Thursday after a last-gasp penalty shoot-out gave the English side a UEFA Cup lifeline.

It took until the 89th minute for this second qualifying round, second leg to burst into life when doughty defender Danny Califf unwittingly headed the ball past his own keeper to hand City the aggregate level at 1-1.

That was enough to see the English Premier side into extra-time and a penalty shoot-out in which keeper Joe Hart pulled off heroics to put City into the UEFA Cup first round.

Manchester pressed early as Martin Petrov's left-sided cross in the second minute was cleared by the Midtjylland defence.

But City's new Brazilian Jo was finding it difficult to make an impression on the damp surface and Blumer Elano, who scored two goals against West Ham at the weekend, looked ineffective.

The only good thing for the travelling City fans was off the field, with news that Shaun Wright-Phillips had signed from Chelsea and Mark Hughes will need power.