NOTTS COUNTY 1 CITY 1
League Division 1
1st September 1981
Attendance 14,546
Scorers
City McDonald(80)
Notts County Christie(40)
ref Cliff Maskell
City Williams, Ranson, McDonald, Reid, Power, Caton, O’Neill, Gow, Boyer, Reeves, Hutchison – sub Henry(76)
Notts County Avramovic, Benjamin, O’Brien, Harkouk, Kilcline, Richards, Chiedozie, McCulloch, Christie, Hunt, Hooks – sub Goodwin(unused)
City huffed and puffed at newly promoted Notts County, and in the end were probably lucky to comw away from Meadow Lane with a point.
The first half was full of frenzy but not that much thought. County were looking to force as many set pieces as possible and City helped them by giving away several needless fouls in their own half. Indeed, approaching half-time, Martin O’Neil brought down Iain McCulloch about 30 yards from the Blues goal. Harkouk caught City’s rearguard on their heels with a quickly taken free-kick out to County’s recent £600k purchase, John Chiedozie on the right wing, who put in an early cross into the box where Trevor Christie powered home a header passed Alex Williams.
John Bond’s side spent most of the second half in The Magpies’ half but despite a good shot from Kevin Reeves which was well saved by Avramovic, there were few chances and with less than a quarter of an hour to go the ineffectual Phil Boyer was taken off and in desperation centre half Tommy Caton took up the centre forward position.
With ten minutes left a Paul Power corner was headed on at the near post by Reeves and Bobby McDonald headed home the equaliser for City.
It certainly looked like John Bond needs more firepower in the side and the presence of Trevor Francis in the stands indicates the England forward could be on his way to Maine Road.