Scunthorpe reax

Oliver Kay, The Times

If there is a temptation to regard Robinho’s goal, his first in 12 appearances this season, as an irrelevance, it should be avoided. Scunthorpe United’s performance was so full of character that, at 3-2 down, an equaliser would have surprised nobody. They were often the better team and, while the class of the goals scored by Martin Petrov, Nedum Onuoha and, in particular, Sylvinho were a measure of City’s overall superiority, Mancini looked like a relieved man afterwards, his team taking their record to six wins in seven matches under him.

Henry Winter, Daily Telegraph

It is undeniable that Robinho remains one of football’s marquee names, and the Brazilian’s glamour may be enhanced at the World Cup. If City’s No 10 were committed, giving unstintingly home and away, then he would be worth keeping.

But whenever is he fully committed? Robinho scored here but Martin Petrov was comfortably his superior. Carlos Tévez has shamed Robinho with his work ethic this season.

Daniel Taylor, The Guardian

Sylvinho will never strike the ball more sweetly and that might have been the moment when the Championship side decided it should be an exercise in damage limitation and set about ensuring that their first-ever live appearance on terrestrial television did not end in a more crushing defeat. Instead Nigel Adkins's side came back valiantly, subjecting their opponents to near-unremitting pressure once Dedryck Boyata, the young City centre-half, had turned Cliff Byrne's shot past his own goalkeeper, Stuart Taylor, to make it 3-2. Scunthorpe will also reflect on a number of other close misses but ultimately this was a story of the Premier League side's superior finishing.

Jon Culley, The Independent

Doughty Scunthorpe, fighting for survival in the second tier, were good enough to equalise after slipping behind early in the game and came back a second time to trail 3-2 with 20 minutes left. But their manager, Nigel Adkins, was quick to acknowledge the Premiership side's sure-footed performance.

Matt Lawton, Daily Mail

For a fair chunk of this absorbing FA Cup tie, Scunthorpe United proved themselves a pretty difficult obstacle to overcome. Difficult enough to make Cook, unable to make it to Glanford Park because of illness, sweat a bit, anyway.