Team news: City made one change from the team that started against Everton, with Georgios Samaras replacing Bernardo Corradi. Trevor Sinclair is back on the bench.

For Wednesday, City Academy product Glenn Whelan lined up and Mark Crossley, a team mate of both managers at Forest in the late 80s and early 90s, wwas in goal after having his loan from Fulham extended.

The Match

The game started in pouring rain and with darkening skies above.

Wednesday made a spirited start and wasted the first good chance on 11 minutes. MacLean fed Brunt on the left of City’s box, but after racing into the box he badly miscued his left-footed effort, which ended going nearer the corner flag than the goal.

Kenny Lunt managed a shot on target four minutes later when Dunne gave the ball away on his own half, however the midfielder’s effort lacked power and Weaver made a simple save

Deon Burton earned the game’s first booking on 18 for a clattering challenge on Trabelsi. Samaras rolled the ball home from the resulting free kick, but Graham Poll had already blown for a foul on Crossley.

City’s first yellow card came just afterwards when Micah Richards and Glenn Whelan squared up to each other in the aftermath of Richards’ initial tackle, with Poll showing the City player the card after the two had had to be separated.

Neither side could force any chances in the next phase of play, but Lunt had the next opportunity on 35 when he rolled a shot from 20 yards wide of Weaver’s right hand post.

A lacklustre first half ended with Trevor Sinclair replacing Trabelsi, who appeared to be feeling a hamstring.

Half time - Wednesday 0-0 City

The teams re-emerged to the strains of The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”, cunningly adapted by our fans with ‘City’ replacing the title in the chorus.

It was nearly a nightmare start to the second half for City when Distin miscued an attempted clearance in the box, the ball fizzing just over the bar thanks to a last-gasp deflection from Nick Weaver.

From the corner, Lee Bullen’s header looked to be going in when Georgios Samaras, doing his defensive duties, cleared off the line.

City broke downfield towards their own fans at the Leppings Lane end, and Darius Vassell saw his shot beaten away by Mark Crossley as the striker stabbed the ball towards the far corner.

Richard Dunne linked up with Distin at a City corner on 54, but the Frenchman’s volley after bringing the ball under control flew well over the bar.

Former City boy Glenn Whelan chanced his arm from range on 62, the ball going just over Weaver’s crossbar.

After being caught offside many times, Vassell finally beat the trap on 65 minutes and homed in on Crossley. Samaras and Beasley were free in the box but the striker had a go himself, only to see the former Forest keeper dive at his feet and push away City’s best chance of the game so far.

Crossley was on hand again on 72, blocking Samaras’ shot on the turn after a scramble at a Dabo corner.

Graham Poll ignored the claims for a penalty when MacLean went down in the area at a free kick.

However, City took the lead on 77 minutes when they won a penalty of their own. Richards burst into the box and was hauled down by Lunt, so Samaras stepped up and calmly slotted home his second spot kick within a week.

But unbelievably City were in the lead for just one minute! Steve MacLean took aim from the edge of the box, there was a slight deflection but the striker’s shot bounced across and past Weaver, hit the inside of the post and went in to level the scores.

And the goal scorer spurned a great chance to take the lead seconds later, sliding a tame effort wide from inside the area.

Stoppage time was held up while we waited for a replacement corner flag to be called up to replace a broken one. When City’s corner was eventually taken, the Blues could not threaten Crossley, and substitute Dickov was booked as the hosts tried to break upfield.

That was the last action of the game, and we reconvene at the City of Manchester Stadium on January 16 for the replay.