MANCHESTER City manager Joe Royle revealed it took a half-time rollicking to spark off his side's Worthington Cup rout of Burnley last night.

Royle admitted that the Clarets could have been ahead until his interval 'team-talk' sparked the First Division outfit into life.

"It was the old game of two halves. We were fortunate to be ahead at half-time after our keeper made two good saves," said the City boss.

"We were so sloppy and lethargic that I asked the players at half-time if they'd had a party last night. We did have words at half-time.

"But second half it was a different thing. We moved the ball quickly and played with more passion and you saw the result.

"I thought at times second half we were outstanding and the difference in the two halves was really epitomised by Mark Kennedy's performance, who had a poor first half and then in the second half you saw what a true talent he has. He was the difference, he got things going." And Royle, whose side scored four times after the break, felt it was the power of City rather than Burnley's shortcomings which guaranteed them a place in the second round.

"I don't think it was so much capitulated. When we started moving the ball around quickly it was hard for them to get near us," he added.

"We've got a lot of young legs in there. Mark Kennedy will get the headlines for two great goals, and rightly so, but I thought Jeff Whitley and Kevin Horlock were terrific.

"They can count themselves unlucky at half-time to be behind but I don't think they can argue on the second half performance.

"They were probably encouraged at half-time to think they could go on and get something out of the game but second half we did step it up a bit."

Having beaten Burnley 6-0 and 5-0 in the last six months, the City chief did, however, have words of consolation for Clarets manager Stan Ternent.

"I said 'sorry', he's a good mate of mine. We seem to be saving it for you," said Royle.

"But they've had a good run since the last time we beat them and he'll hoping they have the same response this time as they had last time we did that to them."

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