The leaders were now in command and Smith added a delicious second when his deft header from a delicious outside-of-the-foot pass from Taarabt found its way in at the far post.
City's Vedran Corluka ghosted into space and lashed a 25-yard drive narrowly wide on 10 minutes, while Vassell saw adeft flick-on whistle wide from a Martin Petrov free-kick.