The Ball boys on a roll

Leeds United 0 Manchester City 1 (Creaney 60) Attendance: 33,249

FROM mug of the season to manager of the month is the sort of transformation usually associated with the chap emerging from a telephone box in a cape. Alan Ball, in charge at Manchester City, neither left the dug-out nor shed his flat cap during Manchester City's fourth victory in five matches yesterday, but the depth of his recent achievements should not be underestimated.

He was being condemned in the first two months of the season as being incompetent, doomed and running out of job prospects. City looked certain permanently to inhabit the relegation zone of the Premiership until next spring and to get out of it then only by means of going down.

But the humiliating 6-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool at Anfield has been a turning-point for them. Since then they have gained a little more in confidence and adventure. The personnel may be the same, but the approach is that of a different set of people altogether.

City were quickly into their stride yesterday against a Leeds side that had already lost twice at home this season and showed early indications of being prepared to go under for a third time. The visitors stroked the ball about with what could have been seen as arrogance, had their previous shortcomings not been a matter of record.

At the hub of just about all they created was Georgi Kinkladze, a Georgian of deft touch and wide-ranging awareness. He can make long passes, but it was his short balls that were quite as telling yesterday. While City progressed upfield easily in the first 30 minutes, Leeds, with three men at the front, were a little lightweight where it mattered. When they eventually began to gain possession they were bereft of anything constructive with which to finish off their attacking moves.

The Scandinavian Tomas Brolin was making his first Premiership start, and an early pass - a turn followed by a long raking ball up the right flank - bordered on the outrageous. But he was outdone by Kinkladze's influence yesterday. A little jink followed by a scoop in the formative stages of the match - Niall Quinn was the recipient who had the ball snatched away - was an example of his delightful control and improvised distribution under pressure.

Two clear chances for City in the first half went unconverted. John Lukic parried Uwe Rosler's shot as he homed in from the right in the 27th minute and not long after the goalkeeper was saved by the bar, which was struck by the German's header. The goal, when it arrived, was in one of the few patches of the proceedings when Leeds were truly combative. They had just begun to look as though they might do something worthwhile with their increased possession when Steve Lomas appeared on the left flank. Leeds, understandably, were paying close attention to Kinkladze and when the cross came firmly in there was Gerry Creaney, a substitute who has rather floundered since his arrival from Portsmouth early in the season, to come up with a header to match. Thereafter, Leeds huffed and puffed without ever really threatening to break down a defence that has now conceded only one goal in five matches. Leeds were disappointing, but City were a side composed in their approach.

Ball rightfully looked forward to the meeting this week between his side and Middlesbrough which will see Kinkladze and Juninho meet head-to-head. There would not, he suggested, be a cigarette paper between them, and while the Georgian has not had the benefit of the Brazilian's justified hype, it would be wrong to doubt Ball's word now.