Ending a run of three successive league defeats, Patrick Vieira’s side saw off visitors Fulham 3-1 at the Academy Stadium on Friday afternoon.
Thierry Ambrose added to his growing portfolio of headed goals to give his side the lead after nine minutes but City were reduced to ten men in the middle of the first period.
Jack Byrne was the player shown a straight red card after 33 minutes, casting a shadow over an authoritative first-half display from the home side.
Despite the one-man discrepancy, City went into a two-goal lead five minutes into the second period when Brandon Barker scored from the penalty spot after he was fouled just inside the box.
Ange-Freddy Plumain brought the visitors back into the game with a goal on the hour-mark but Bersant Celina tapped in from a yard out with eight minutes left to complete the scoring in a deserved win for a steely City showing.
Following a run of three U21 Premier League games without a win, this was an opportunity for seventh-place City to close the gap on leaders Manchester United to just three points.
With just seven points separating second-bottom Fulham and the table summit, incentive for victory was huge going into this clash at a sunkissed Academy Stadium.
City had got the best of Fulham in the away encounter back in October but with so many of the elder EDS squad members now out on loan up and down the Football League and across the continent, this promised to be a tougher assignment.
A swirling wind took its toll on the quality of the spectacle for the first five minutes as the sides took time to adapt to the conditions but City were first to settle down and they grabbed an early lead courtesy of Ambrose’s 12th goal of the season.
It was the 9th minute when Barker stole past Baba on the left flank and delivered a pinpoint cross which Ambrose met with a thumping header into the bottom corner.
It was the perfect start but the home side had been guilty of squandering leads in recent times, so it was important that they continued to keep their concentration in defensive areas and to press forward in search of more goals.
That’s just what they did and Olivier Ntcham was unfortunate not to double the advantage on 17 minutes with an explosive effort from the edge of the area but the post came to Fulham’s rescue.
City were in control of a match with few clearcut chances but their hopes of holding onto the lead were dealt a blow on 33 minutes when Byrne was given his marching orders.
With no appeal or outrage from Fulham players in the vicinity and the Irishman only going in with one foot in an honest attempt to win the ball, it was a surprising decision from referee Joseph Johnson to dismiss Byrne for a first offence.
Vieira certainly wasn’t amused but his side showed a strong reaction to the red card, nearly doubling their advantage through Jose Angel Pozo four minutes later but his shot from an acute angle just flashed past the far post.
Five minutes into the second half, the ten men did get their second goal from the penalty spot after Barker was felled in his attempts to set up Ambrose.
The England youth international assumed responsibilities for the spot-kick himself and made no mistake, drilling it down the centre to make it 2-0.
With Pozo dropping back to make up the extra man when City were out of possession, the hosts were able to cope with Fulham’s man advantage without conceding up until the 58th minute when Plumain halved the arrears.
Na Banga slipped a glorious ball through which cut the home defence in half and the Cottagers no.9 slotted coolly past Angus Gunn to bring the visitors back into the match.
Buoyed by their goal, Fulham came on strong in search of an equaliser but it was City who scored a game-clinching third on the break when Pozo’s shot was cleared off the line and the ball broke favourably to Celina on the back post to tap in from a yard out.
It secured City’s first league win at the Academy Stadium and the team’s first three points since 8 January.
