Harnosand v Manchester City friendly 1988/89

 HARNOSAND 1 CITY 6

Friendly

25th July 1988

attendance ???

Scorers
City Brightwell(23), Morley(39), Biggins(53 & 67), White(59), Deehan(60)
Harnosand Halldahl(13)

City Dibble, McIntyre, Gayle, Seagraves, Brightwell, Redmond, Beckford, Morley, Moulden, McNab, Gleghorn – subs Biggins, White, Deehan, Scott, Margetson

FROM THE PRESS BOX

PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 26TH JULY 1988
Wayne Biggins has revealed the first genuine signs that he can become the new Paul Stewart.
Manchester City’s £160,000 summer signing from Norwich struck at the double as the Blues went on another Swede-bashing mission.
They scored four times in 14 minutes to convincingly beat a Harnosand select side in the second match of their Scandinavian pre-season build-up tour.
Two of those swiftly taken goals came from Biggins as team manager Mel Machin introduced him to the action for the second half of a game in which all but the injured Hinchcliffe and Paul Simpson were given an airing.
Apart from the first goals by Biggins, who must try to fill the huge gap left by the £1.7M departure to Tottenham of the prolific scoring Stewart, there were equally impressive performances from two other players.
Mark Seagraves, asked to plug the No.3 spot vacated by Hinchcliffe, who damaged ankle ligaments that will keep him out of the remaining tour plans, turned in a useful performance that hinted he might save the club money by emerging as possible right back material.
And Ian Brightwell revealed his outstanding athletics pedigree with another non-stop display to suggest he can become a Second Division force in the demanding months to come.
With his former youth team colleague Ian Scott, they revealed a midfield blend to which Machin might ultimately turn for the opening League game at Hull next month.
Brightwell’s eager willingness to undertake long powerful runs into scoring positions is a particular effective weapon.
However, the Blues had to come from behind before they were able to stamp their ultimate authority on last nights game.
Harnosand opened brightly and briskly to shock the Blues as Nicolas Halidahl exposed a Brian Gayle error to give his side a surprise 13th minute lead.
Brightwell’s eye for the opening enabled him to equalise when set up by Neil McNab and Trevor Morley finished off a Paul Moulden-Jason Beckford move to give City a half-time lead.
Biggins opened his own personal account with a delightful chip to start off City’s second half surge. David White, John Deehan and Biggins completed the rout.