CITY 1 PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 0
Littlewoods Cup 2nd Round 1st Leg
28th September 1988
Attendance 8,454
Scorer White(11)
Ref K Breen
City Dibble, Biggins, Gayle, Hinchcliffe, I Brightwell, Redmond, White, McNab, Lake, Morley, Moulden – subs Simpson(57), Beckford(75)
DAVID WHITE SCORES CITY’S GOAL
FROM THE PRESS BOX
REPORT FROM THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 29TH SEPTEMBER 1988
Manchester City’s away form suggests they have completed the difficult part of their second round. Littlewoods Cup test.
The Blues should safely negotiate the return leg at Plymouth Argyle In 12 days time.
It is becoming increasingly clear that City have a phobia about playing at Maine Road. Even team manager Mel Machin admitted after a stuttering 1-0 victory: “We played badly and got away with it.”
City’s problem stemmed from their unpredictability. They had an increasing number of off-key performances to contend with, despite the flying start given them by David White’s soaring, 11th minute far-post header. It was almost a carbon-copy of the opener he scored at Barnsley on Saturday when the Blues went on to chalk up a second successive away victory.
Yet City failed to capitalise, and the tie degenerated into an untidy scramble with a pitiful 9,454 crowd frustrated.
Paul Simpson should have scored with one last act of defiance by the Blues. But with only Steve Cherry to beat, his attempt was parried behind for a corner by the keeper,
It summed up City’s despair after such a bright and breezy opening. Said Machin: “We had players in all departments who played badly. But the positive thing was that we kept a clean sheet for the first time this season.”
For that, the Blues have to thank the improving form of Brian Gayle, ably supported by Steve Redmond And Andy Hinchcliffe at the back.
The substitution of Paul Moulden for Jason Beckford was a controversial one that brought a storm of booing. Moulden was far from City’s worst player, with his striking partner Trevor Morley having a generally unhappy time, too.
Overall, However, four successive victories and an unbeaten run of six matches is not to be sniffed at. Not when it’s a case of “away the Blues.”
