Last Updated: Sat, 09 Mar 2013 19:37
Hat-trick hero Carlos Tevez put his off-field problems to one side to send Manchester City motoring into the FA Cup semi-finals as they beat Barnsley 5-0.
Edin Dzeko had already nodded a good chance over when Tevez struck for the first time.
Yaya Toure made it with a quite brilliant flick over the Barnsley defence. David Silva was onto it in a flash, prodding the ball goalwards with the outside of his left foot. Luke Steele managed to push the effort onto a post but the rebound fell kindly for Tevez, who had the easiest of tasks to finish.
They struck again just before the half-hour and once more it was a goal of classical efficiency. After a midfield skirmish, Edin Dzeko threaded a superb pass through for Tevez, whose cutback rolled to the back of the area, from where Aleksandar Kolarov drove it home.
From then on it was just a question of how many the hosts would score. And with Tevez on a mission, it was never going to be two. Still, Barnsley would be disappointed with their defending for City's next.
Despite being surrounded by defenders not that far from the byline, Silva still managed to squeeze a pass to Tevez, who turned quickly before firing home from close-range.
City emerged for the second half with the same potency. Samir Nasri burst past former Blues trainee Kelvin Etuhu before finding Tevez, who delivered another expert finish.
Steele needed to make an acrobatic save to deny Dzeko, who was not far off with an audacious chip.
It was David Silva who got City's fifth, though, finishing at the second attempt after Steele had initially denied him.
For former cricket umpire and Barnsley boy Dickie Bird it was painful viewing, although at least he escaped having to signal six when James Milner's ferocious shot crashed back off the post.
Have you an opinion on this story? Put your money where your mouth is and claim a free £25 bet.
