SAM Allardyce is hoping his depleted defence can keep Kevin Keegan's strikeforce out of harm's way at Maine Road on Saturday.

He is hoping they can produce the shut-out that has proved so elusive since Wanderers last triumphed in Manchester in that famous victory over United.

The Reebok boss has been encouraged by recent results - a modest but confidence-building unbeaten run of three games - but fears progress in the Premiership is still being blighted by defensive lapses.

Wanderers have failed to keep a clean sheet in 10 games since they won at Old Trafford on September 11 and problems surfaced again on Saturday when Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink rescued a 1-1 draw for Chelsea with an 89th minute header.

It was tough on Wanderers, who looked to be on course for their fourth win of the season when they led through a 63rd minute Henrik Pedersen goal but the manager was critical of his players for dropping their guard with victory in sight.

"We've got to start keeping clean sheets because we've scored in every Premiership game, bar one," he said. "If we can keep a clean sheet at Manchester City it will give us an absolutely fantastic chance of getting a win.

"You only have to look at what Everton are doing to know what it means to get those clean sheets and how far it can take you up the table - I think that was their seventh 1-0 win at the weekend. It should have been a 1-0 win for us but we have gone three games undefeated now, which is our best run of the season.

"Hopefully the consistency is coming."