A MOMENTOUS week in the life of Manchester City ends with three successive victories and a three-point lead in Division One, thanks to Kevin Horlock's finishing and the goalkeeping of Nick Weaver.

In the space of eight days City have beaten three of their likely promotion rivals: Birmingham, Blackburn and now Ipswich, arguably the most potent force in the First Division. All three games have followed a similar pattern, City recovering from a shaky start, preserving a clean sheet, and growing stronger.

Weaver's role should not be underestimated. A capable sweeper behind his defence, he made six excellent saves. The last two, amid a frenetic finish, to deny Ipswich substitute Jonas Axeldar - who also hit the crossbar - and James Scowcroft were more indicative of the match than Horlock's goal.

Responding to City's best spell of pressure, midway through the first-half, Ipswich winger Mick Stockwell extended Weaver with a venomous left-foot volley. Weaver spilled it but an over-anxious David Johnson opted for an immediate shot from the corner of the six-yard box instead of a second touch, and screwed the ball a yard wide.

Johnson, who had earlier injured himself in a collision with Weaver, limped off holding his right thigh just before half-time, whereupon Ipswich twice went close, Fabian Wilnis and Richard Naylor both being denied by City's over-worked keeper.

City's seventh successive 30,000-plus league crowd were rewarded for their patience in the 59th minute when Paul Dickov wriggled clear on the right and, with two men spare in the middle, picked out Horlock. The midfielder's left-foot did the rest.

Weaver was still the busier of the goalkeepers but two excellent saves, to deny Matt Holland and Naylor, were surpassed by his opposite number, Richard Wright, when his fingertips kept out a bullet from substitute Gareth Taylor.

Daily Telegraph