THE magic of Georgi Kinkladze helped Manchester City to maintain their revival at Maine Road yesterday, the Georgian international midfielder crowning a wonderful individual display with a marvellous 85th-minute winner as the battling Blues took their unbeaten run to four matches with a deserved victory over high-flying Aston Villa.

Kinkladze fastened onto an intelligent Niall Quinn back heel to beat defiant Villa keeper Mark Bosnich with a clinical angled drive his first goal for the club since a summer move from Dynamo Tibilsi.

It took City's points haul to 10 from their last four Premiership outings and shattered Villa's hopes of moving into the top three.

City's power and passion threatened to blow Villa away in a thrilling end-to-end first half but Villa continued to look dangerous on the counter. particularly through the pace of Tommy Johnson and the willing support of Mark Draper.

Villa boss Brian Little sent on Riccardo Scimeca for the ineffective Milosevic but it was City who somehow found the inspiration to take all three points.

Quinn sent Kinkladze free and the diminutive midfielder did the rest with a fierce finish that gave Bosnich no chance.

Even then City had to survive a late scare, with McGrath's volley headed off the line by the industrious Steve Lomas. But gallant City held on to the final whistle to maintain their climb away from the relegation quicksand.