CITY 3 CRYSTAL PALACE 0
League Division 1
4th November 1989
Attendance 23,768
Scorers White(5), Morley(39), Allen(58)
Ref J Ashworth
City Dibble, Fleming, Gayle, Redmond, Hinchcliffe, White, Bishop, McNab, Lake, Morley, Allen – subs Oldfield(unused), I Brightwell(unused)
Palace Suckling, Pemberton, Shaw, Gray, Hopkins, Dyer, McGoldrick, Thomas, Bright, Wright, Pardew – subs Barber(72), Hedman
DAVID WHITE SCORES
TREVOR MORLEY GETS ON THE SCORESHEET
A GOAL FOR CLIVE ALLEN AND IT’S 3-0
FROM THE PRESS BOX
MATCH REPORT FROM IRELAND’S SATURDAY NIGHT 4TH NOVEMBER 1989
Bold Manchester City reserved a white-hot welcome for old foes Crystal Palace at Maine Road.
The bright and Breezy Blues tore into the Londoners with a Vengence in a devastating spell of early attacking action.
And it was no more than the Manchester men deserved when flying winger David White fired them into a fifth minute lead.
City striker Trevor Morley did the damage, working hard to get on the end of Andy Hinchcliffe’s telling punt into the Palace box.
And when the ball fell kindly for White, the young England speed Merchant duly rammed home the opportunity from no more than 10 yards.
City might have had more to show for their early domination.
Morley guided a ninth minute header straight at Palace keeper Perry Suckling and Clive Allen drove narrowly over after Bishop’s Splendid through ball three minutes later.
Palace showed little of the form which had dogged City in recent Second Division battles.
And it was only the thickness of a post which denied The Blues in the 22nd minute, Morley first firing a close range effort into Suckling’s midriff, then scrambling a follow-up effort against the post.
City finally went two up on 39 minutes. White appeared to get the faintest of headers on Bishop’s, free kick leaving Morley to hit the target with a powerful left foot strike.
It is easy to see why Palace have conceded so many goals. Their defence does not really exist.
Clive Allen had the ball in the Palace net in the 53rd minutes but it was disallowed for some reason not apparent.
However the relief was short-lived, Allen got his reward five minutes later. Paul Lake’s shot was only partially saved by Perry Suckling and Allen raced in to score.