Manchester City v Ipswich Town 1985/86

CITY 1 IPSWICH TOWN 1

League Division 1

9th November 1985

Attendance 20,853

Scorers
City Lillis(44 pen)
Ipswich Gleghorn(15)

Ref Keith Hackett

City Nixon, Reid, May, Clements, McCarthy, Phillips, Lillis, Power, Davies, McNab, Simpson – subs Melrose(unused)

Ipswich Cooper, Yallop, McCall, Atkins, Cranson, Steggles, D’avray, Brennan, Wilson, Cole, Gleghorn – sub Dozzell(63)

FROM THE PRESS BOX

PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 11TH NOVEMBER 1985
What hope is there for Manchester City if they can’t beat teams of this poor pedigree?
Ipswich Town were there for the taking, but found in Paul Cooper a goalkeeping hero.
Cooper’s brilliance alone salvaged his side a point from Saturday’s depressing 1-1 Maine Road draw that leaves both teams firmly anchored in relegation hot water.
So far as City are concerned, it’s not all misfortune and bad luck that’s dumped then there.
The sad fact of the matter is that this lot are just not good enough to mount a sustained challenge for a First Division future.
Even sadder, is the fact that there is not a lot manager Billy McNeill can do about it.
Money is unavailable for further reinforcements and the only certainty is the famous old club faces a bitter winter of discontent.
Signs that the corner might have been turned were revealed in the battling draw against League champions Everton a fortnight ago.
Yet the sterling display became a figment of the imagination in the wake of this latest shoddy, shabby and scrambling non-performance.
McNeill’s pre-match vow that “somebody is due to take a real hammering from us” was nothing more than an empty threat as City scratched and fiddled like diffident hens in a quite appalling and colourless match.
The Blues offered the opposition the freedom of Maine Road in the 14th minute when Kevin Wilson crossed from the right leaving the unmarked Nigel Gleghorn the simplest of chances which he tucked away with a header as he cut in from beyond the far post.
But for a splendid save from Eric Nixon, who flung himself high and wide to his left to palm away a Mitch D’Avray header after 28 minutes, City’s embarrassment could have been even more acute.
Even the Blues’ equaliser seconds before half-time had more than a hint of suspicion about it.
One of the few penetrative passes of the day, a splendid through ball from Neil McNab, released Gordon Davies. However, the Welsh striker appeared to foul Kevin Steggles before Davies himself was hauled down by Cooper.
Mark Lillis tucked away the spot kick giving City the psychological edge for the second half.
But overall it was a woeful team effort that leaves City tottering on the brink of an early return to Second Division oblivion.