CITY 2 BIRMINGHAM CITY 1
League Division 1
19th April 1977
attendance 36,203
Scorers
City KIdd(28 & 70)
Birmingham Burns(7)
ref Trelford Mills
City Corrigan, Clements, Donachie, Booth, Watson, Owen, Barnes, Keegan, Kidd, Hartford, Tueart – sub Doyle(unused)
Birmingham Montgomery, Calderwood, Pendrey, Kendall, Sbragia, Want, Jones, Francis, Burns, Hibbitt, Connolly – sub Emmanuel(86)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 20TH APRIL 1977
Liverpool beware! Manchester City are now perfectly poised to pounce on any slip by the treble-chasing Merseysiders in a neck and neck title race.
That was the message pounded out by success-hungry Blues as they grittily shook off an early Birmingham goal to bounce back and score yet another important victory in an exacting championship battle.
The pressure is now on the defending champions of Anfield.
… City are charting a classic course to the top with five clear-cut wins from the past six fixtures, leaving them second from top behind Liverpool on goal difference only but with the further handicap of having played a game more.
… City’s run in is a difficult one with three of the remaining five matches away from home. But then there is never an easy way to winning titles.
That final fling is made all the more difficult by the two match ban which Asa Hartford received yesterday keeping him out of the next two clashes at Derby and Aston Villa.
… Hartford’s ability to create chances was never better revealed as Birmingham reeled under a blitz of such intensity that but for the splendid goalkeeping of Jim Montgomery, and timely goal-line clearances by defenders, City might even have got the six goals needed to put them on top of the table.
… City owe a lot to their defence for the success achieved this season, but against Birmingham it was the midfield and front runners who really took the eye.
… However it was never a great performance from City, more a workmanlike effort as they busily overcame a side determined to defend to the hilt the eighth minute lead they established in a breakaway.