PHIL Parkinson shrugged off the controversy over Aaron Mclean’s late Capital One Cup winner at Morecambe as City dream of a potential second-round windfall.

It was Mclean’s first goal of the season but he appeared to handle the ball over the line to see off the League Two side at the Globe Arena.

Victory completed a good day for Parkinson, who had earlier secured exciting Derby strike prospect Mason Bennett on a half-season loan.

Parkinson said: “Aaron bundled it in. Whether it was with his arm or not I don’t care – strikers score goals in the six-yard box and that’s his job. I feel we’ve got players who will create chances for him.

“It was a difficult game but I didn’t expect anything different. Morecambe look like a team who can threaten at the right end of their league this year.

“We were under pressure being the team from a higher division. There’s also the factor that we were in the final not that long ago.

“That brings increased expectations and increased exposure from the media because everybody will be looking at our result. I told the lads we didn’t want to see the headlines that the cup finalists two years ago had gone out.

“Sometimes your quality coming from the bench compared to the team from the lower division can be the difference. I thought that was the case.

“I felt Billy Knott came on with that extra little bit of incisiveness when everyone else was tired.”

Ben Williams was drafted in as Jordan Pickford’s replacement in goal and earned Parkinson’s praise for the clean sheet.

“The stand-out performances were the goalkeeper and the back four. I thought Alan Sheehan was terrific at centre back and won every header.

“Ben’s got so many games under his belt and it was so important we had an experienced keeper. We’d have trusted Matt Urwin but having that experience behind the back four helps a lot.”

Manchester United are among the Premier League sides who City could draw tonight and Parkinson is hoping they pull out a plum.

“I want a money spinner. A couple of years ago we were waiting for that big one to come out of the hat – we’ve given ourselves a chance.”

MORECAMBE v CITY PICTURE GALLERY