Manchester City leapfrogged over promotion rivals Wolves and into second place in the First Division after beating them 1-0 at a packed Maine Road last night.

Unusually City's top marksman, 23-goal Shaun Goater, did not add to his tally, leaving Kevin Horlock to take the glory.

The goal came after a Danny Tiatto header from deep released Darren Huckerby to run at the defence. Just as he was closing in on the box he was brought down by Wolves skipper, Paul Butler.

From the free kick Horlock drilled in a bending shot which beat the 'keeper at the left hand corner for his second goal of the season.

Goater then went agonisingly close from a Shaun Wright-Phillips cross as City began to play fluent football.

In the 40th minute Wolves were reduced to 10 men when Jolyon Lescott was sent off for a late challenge on Ali Benarbia.

Then after 58 minutes City produced their best move of the game with Huckerby and Eyal Berkovic combining to split open the Wolves rearguard on the right. However, Goater just failed to make contact with the Israeli's final pass.

Goater again came close later on, his final shot from eight yards out in the 80th minute shaving the upright after Shaun Wright-Phillips had carved out the chance.

Then six minutes from time the Wolves 'keeper denied Wright-Phillips with a great save after Goater failed to convert Huckerby's cross from the line.

"It was never a classic but three valuable points for us," said City boss Kevin Keegan. "I would have liked us to put some more goals on the end of some good football, but if we are honest we just about got what we deserved.

"We kept going and it was enough to get us into second place. It is never easy when a side goes down to 10 men. We were fortunate to be 1-0 up when they went down to 10 men. But we couldn't kill them off as they kept going."

The night's other First Division match saw an emotional but unsuccessful return to St Andrews for Trevor Francis, the former Birmingham boss now in charge of Crystal Palace.

Francis, a hero as a player with Birmingham fans who was sacked two months ago, was given a standing ovation by the home fans before the game, but there was little else to applaud in a dire first half.

The game was settled in Birmingham's favour after 64 minutes when Tommy Moody, who hit a hat-trick in Saturday's 4-0 win over Norwich, converted a penalty.

Birmingham climbed one place to ninth on 36 points while Palace, who beat Goater's City at the weekend, remain sixth on 37.