SHEFFIELD UNITED 1 CITY 2
Full Members Cup Northern Group 1 League
22nd October 1985
Attendance 3,420
Scorers
City Phillips(60), Baker(89)
Sheff Utd Morris(48 pen)
City Nixon, May, Power, Reid, Johnson, Phillips, Lillis, Baker, Davie, McNab, McIlroy – Subs Simpson(62), Melrose(unused)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 23RD OCTOBER 1985
Manchester City are on course to become first winners of the Full Members Cup.
In fact the Blues could become the only winners of football’s most criticised competition in history.
An ill-conceived tournament is destined to die in infancy so apathetic is the public response.
Another record-low crowd saw City scramble through to the area semi-final last night.
The Bramhall Lane attendance was just 3,420 as City beat Sheffield United 2-1 to top their group with a 100% record.
A pity such consistency couldn’t be achieved on a higher level, like the First Division. But then that sums up the standard of this unwanted baby.
Group success leaves City just two ties from Wembley, although winning a Mickey Mouse cup would hardly be a feather in the Maine Road cap if the team continues to struggle where it matters most.
Victory was achieved courtesy of Eric Nixon and Joe Bolton.
It was Nixon, who swooped bird-like to his left to gloriously palm behind a crisp Colin Morris 30 yarder, 60 seconds before half-time.
It was Bolton, the Blades left back, who threw away the game’s best chance when, unchallenged six yards out, he shot over the City bar.
That 55th minute miss was a watershed. Three minutes after the break Morris had shot the Blades ahead with a penalty following Nigel Johnson’s foul on Keith Edwards.
A second for the home side would surely have killed off City whose need from the outset had been a draw to qualfy on the strength of their 6-1 opening group victory over Leeds United last week.
Indeed, the Blades never looked like scoring again from that point.
David Phillips hit the equaliser after Ken McNaught had poked out the ball when challenging Mark Lillis for a Gordon Davies right flanking cross.
Almost on the stroke time Graham Baker slipped in the winner, although, Paul Simpson, second half substitute for Sammy McIlroy, had miised an easier chance minutes after his introduction.
Nixon, too, impressed with his sure handling…