MCDONALD EARNS POINT FOR CLARETS

After establishing a two-goal lead through Graham Alexander and Steven Fletcher, it seemed the Clarets were slumping to yet another defeat when City roared into the lead thanks to Shaun Wright-Phillips, Kolo Toure and Craig Bellamy.

But when Fletcher's nod-back fell kindly for McDonald, he wasted no time in delivering the visitors' first away point since their top flight return, and extending City's sequence to five successive Premier League draws.

It was with a sense of purpose Alexander drilled home the penalty after Joleon Lescott had handled Tyrone Mears' right-wing cross.

Any sense that was a fluke was quickly exposed when Fletcher doubled the visitors' lead from Chris Eagles' cross.

Wright-Phillips struck two minutes before the break, his shot flicking off former City defender Stephen Jordan to raise hopes of a successful second-half comeback.

Joleon Lescott got behind Clarke Carlisle at the far post to reach a Gareth Barry free-kick and steer it into Toure's path for a simple tap-in.

City's third was not quite a replica but the cross from Wright-Phillips, who had been sent galloping into the box by Stephen Ireland, was from the same side and Bellamy was also in oceans of space as he fired home.

When Emmanuel Adebayor just failed to reach Martin Petrov's cross there was a sense Burnley would have one last opportunity to salvage themselves. McDonald did not let his team down.