UEFA Cup/Manchester City 1; Groclin 1: Had Manchester City kept their composure this would have been a heartening story about the continuing renaissance of Robbie Fowler and his blossoming relationship with Nicolas Anelka.
Fowler created Anelka's goal with a moment of sheer class, but a wretched second-half display gave their Polish opponents the encouragement to concoct an equaliser their persistence thoroughly deserved.
Kevin Keegan's men must now overcome a potentially treacherous trip to Poland at the end of the month if their first European campaign for 25 seasons is not to end in ignominy.
The free-kick with which Sebastian Mila drew this disappointing game level was a classy strike and Groclin will be encouraged by the vulnerabilities Keegan has failed to eradicate.
Claudio Reyna had already fired recklessly over by the time, with most players yet to muddy their knees, Fowler's exquisite through-ball sent Anelka running clear to expose Groclin's deficiencies in defence.
Had Mariusz Liberda, the visiting goalkeeper, been more alert he might have beaten Anelka to the ball. Instead, the Pole hesitated at the wrong moment, allowing City's leading scorer to nip in and expertly lift the ball over him for a goal clinical in execution and classy in creation.
So dishevelled was some of Groclin's defending during the opening period it was a surprise Kevin Keegan's men did not enhance their lead before half-time. From good positions Fowler (twice) and Sun Jihai missed the target, but City were not helped by an injury to Reyna, and Groclin, a neat, passing side, occasionally flickered into life.
David Seaman twice spared his defenders for their lax marking, first from Grzgorz Rasiak's header and then when Marcin Zajac ran clear on goal.
As much as he will have relished Fowler's apparent return to form, Seaman's safe handling will have been of intense relief to Keegan, whose loyalty to his players has been sorely tested by the goalkeeper's fitful start to his first season at the club.
There was also plenty to admire in the performance of Steve McManaman and Shaun Wright-Phillips, whose willingness to run at opponents has become one of the prominent features of an entertaining, if occasionally rudderless, team.
Finally, their lethargy was punished. Sylvain Distin was unfortunate for his challenge on Rasiak to be deemed illegal, but Sebastian Mila's left-foot free-kick over the wall was struck with perfection.
MANCHESTER CITY: Seaman, Jihai, Distin, Dunne, Tarnat, Wright-Phillips, Reyna (Bosvelt 25), Barton, McManaman (Tiatto 64), Fowler (Wanchope 71), Anelka. Subs Not Used: Stuhr-Ellegaard, Sibierski, Sommeil, Macken. Booked: Tarnat. Goals: Anelka 6.
GROCLIN DYSKOBOLIA: Liberda, Mila, Koziol, Pawlak, Mynar, Krizanac, Zajac (Kaczmarczyk 90), Wieszczycki, Sedlacek, Rasiak, Niedzielan (Piechniak 70). Subs Not Used: Przyrowski, Prusek, Rocki, Gorszkow, Moskala. Booked: Pawlak. Goals: Mila 65.
Referee: G Kasnaferis (Greece).
