WHEN Manchester City’s Brazilian Geovanni, wasted a palpable chance in stoppage time, there seemed no prospect of City taking all three points. Yet back they came and after a couple of headers set him free, Stephen Ireland drove home a thundering and dramatic winner.

Though Reading’s big redheaded striker Dave Kitson had a header from Stephen Hunt’s header comfortably saved by the City keeper, Andreas Isaksson, it was City who took up the running. And City, after a number of fluid, promising movements, reinforced their spearhead, the much travelled, experienced Emile Mpenza, who took the lead after 11 minutes.

It all began on City’s right flank with Richard Dunne, their centre-back and captain, making light of his years. He found Vedran Corluka, last seen the previous Wednesday night at Wembley coping easily with England’s efforts. Corluka in turn found Ireland, whose cross caused confusion in the Reading goalmouth. Elano, that elegant Brazilian midfielder, hit the post, and was then frustrated by Reading’s American goalkeeper, Marcus Hahnemann, who then blocked Mpenza’s point-blank drive, only for the skilful Bulgarian left-winger, Martin Petrov, to drive unforgivingly home.

Until the last minute or two of the half, you would hardly have given a prayer for Reading’s chances of taking anything from the match. Ineffectual was the word that came to mind. Using the Irishman Hunt on the right wing rather than in his customary position on the left seemed to have blunted his effectiveness, while on Hunt’s usual left flank the American international Bobby Convey lost the ball consistently whenever he tried to take on the imposing defenders, of whom eventually Corluka would be forced off after twice being injured.

But for all their territorial supremacy, Manchester City, after their bright start and their early goal, were not making any more chances of consequence. This, as often happens, puts teams in a dangerous situation in football, and so, most unsurprisingly, it would prove here.

In the 43rd minute, another Irish attacker in the Reading ranks, Kevin Doyle, took advantage of a fortunate rebound as he made his way through, moved the ball on to Convey, whose telling pass allowed James Harper to come thundering in and thrash his powerful shot past Isaksson for the equaliser.

Goals change the profile of the game, and so it proved yesterday, with Reading, in the second half, showing more vitality and challenge. This was sometime to excess, such as the reckless foul by Hunt on Gelson Fernandes, which deservedly brought him a yellow card.

Manchester City, for their part, had taken off Mpenza, at the interval, replacing him with the Greek striker Georgios Samaras.

But it was a later substitute in Geovanni, replacing his Brazilian compatriot, Elano, who brought a sharper edge into City’s attack, notably with a fierce right-footed shot from well out that whizzed over the Reading crossbar. After 72 minutes, City nearly doubled their score. An excellent forward pass by Petrov sent Geovanni away, but the Reading keeper, Hahnemann, was quick off his line to block the ensuing shot at close quarters.

Desperate to score the winner, City even saw Micah Richards, the precocious young England defender, advancing from centre-back as far as the Reading penalty area, but when Ireland shrewdly played him the ball, he could do no better than put it wide.

As for Reading, their defence coped well with the City attack and you did wonder whether the City manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, might have risked putting another striker up alongside Samaras.

Meanwhile, Geovanni continued to work hard and intelligently in midfield, moving up front when he could, but by and large, a draw, as the minutes kicked by, seemed to be an inevitability.

On 85 minutes Reading brought on their young Irish striker, Shane Long, who, one recalls, had scored a breathlessly late goal as a substitute to win the home game against Newcastle United.

Overall, it had been a game of sparse excitement and little in the way of scoring chances. Perhaps City are missing the exuberance of another of their young home-grown players, Michael Johnson, who is injured.

Even Geovanni at the end lost the ball in his own half to Reading’s overlapping Graeme Murty, but his cross would lead only to a corner. But in stoppage time, City, football being the game that it is, should have won this match, and the culpirt was no other than Geovanni.

An excellent pass from Dietmar Hamann sent Geovanni clear. Surely that right foot was now going to do justice, but as Hahnemann advanced towards him, the Brazilian hammered the ball over. Yet City still had a shot, quite literally, in their locker, When Sun Jihai played the ball into the box, Samaras got his head to the ball, Geovanni headed on in turn, and Ireland smashed his shot home. A close-run thing indeed.

Star man: Dunne (Man City)

Player ratings: Man City: Isaacson 6, Richards 6, Ireland 7, Mpenza 6, Elano 6 (sub 59 Geovanni 6), Petrov 7, Corluka 7, Hammann 6, Dunne (Starman) 7, Greoodo 6, Fernadez 6 Samaran (sub ht) 6

Reading: Hanemann 7, Murty 6, Shorey 6, Sonko 7, Gunnarnnon 6, Doyle 6, Hunt 6, Kitson 6, Harper 7, Ingimarsson 6, Convey 6, (Sub 85mins Long (6) for Doyle