Robbie Fowler blasted home his first Manchester City hat-trick inside 16 second-half minutes to stave off another FA Cup embarrassment for the Premiership outfit as they defeated Scunthorpe 3-1.
Beaten by Oldham at the same stage of the competition last term, another League One side, Scunthorpe, were threatening to send City tumbling out of this season's competition when they led through Dubliner Andy Keogh's early effort at the break.
But Fowler levelled two minutes after the restart, then scored twice more to ensure City eventually progressed to the fourth round with something to spare.
Keogh had already identified himself as a man to watch and when Billy Sharp expertly dummied Cliff Byrne's through ball, the young Irishman was onto it like a flash.
With Richard Dunne appealing in vain for offside, Keogh burst forward and slotted the ball home under the advancing David James and into the net.
Had Keogh shown a little bit more composure when former City favourite Peter Beagrie found him inside the area with a quickly-taken free-kick, Scunthorpe would have doubled their lead.
Instead, the teenager allowed Sylvain Distin to cut out a cross which should have presented Sharp with a tap-in. The hosts were off the hook and Fowler exacted his retribution.
Scunthorpe boss Brian Laws must have stressed how important the first 10 minutes of the second period would be to his team's chances of sealing victory.
By the time they had reached that point, City were already in front.
Fowler will get all the glory but the abrupt change in fortune owed much to Pearce's decision to introduce the direct wing play of Lee Croft.
The youngster wasted no time in running at the Scunthorpe defence, inducing a hesitancy which has previously not existed.
When he took on Byrne inside the area, the full-back had no answer, the cut-back rolled to Fowler and City were on their way.
Another of the Blues young stars, Stephen Ireland, was set up the second with a square pass. This time, Fowler had much more to do but after delaying his shot and creating a bit of room for himself on the edge of the area, the former England star produced a clinical finish, which flicked in off a post.
Having got the double, there was only one man going to take the spot-kick when Michael Rose handled inside the area and Fowler exuded the calmness of his most predatory days as he rolled the penalty in.
