SWINDON 0 MANCHESTER CITY 2
Nationwide League Division 1
1st April 2000
attendance 12,397
Scorers Goater(43), Kennedy(57)
ref Steve Bennett
City Weaver, Edghill, Tiatto, Jobson, Prior, Grant, J Whitley, Pollock, Kennedy, Dickov, Goater – subs Wiekens(84), Bishop(49), Horlock(unused), Wright(unused), S Wright-Phillips(unused)
Swindon Talia, Robinson, Reeves, Leitch, Gray, Collins, Hall, Meaker, Grazioli, Willis, Williams – subs Cowe(45), Griffin(68)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
GOATER ROUSES SLEEPY CITY
MANCHESTER CITY were sleepwalking through this match until just before half-time when Shaun Goater suddenly realised it was really quite okay to aim a shot at the Swindon goal. From then on it was one-way traffic against a desperately poor Swindon side on whom the Grim Reaper is closing in with the double threat of relegation and bankruptcy. To say the first half was poor would be an understatement. Nothing even remotely resembling an incident occurred until the 27th minute, when City ‘s Mark Kennedy deigned to supply a cross-cum-shot. Swindon’s strugglers fought a losing battle for control of the ball. Michael Meaker set off on a potentially mazy dribble without it, and Wayne Gray looked as if he was on the verge of an out-of-body experience whenever it came within spitting distance. Meaker almost redeemed himself. His attempt at a great sweeping crossfield pass was one of the game’s highlights. It got the crowd going, but, in typical Swindon fashion, did not quite find its target. City were little better, scattering the ball around and failing to read their teammates’ intentions.
One first-half moment summed it all up: Danny Tiatto decided to take on the world on the edge of his own box. He feinted past one Swindon man, and feinted past another, before clonking a dismal pass into touch and throwing his arms up as if to say, “It wasn’t me!”. Truly dreadful. Appropriately, the game turned on another mis-kick, when Alan Reeves’ glaring misdemeanour left Goater in the clear. Talia superbly saved his shot, but the die was cast. Now City believed. Within a minute they threaded together a neat move all of their own, and there was Goater to nod home Paul Dickov’s cross. Swindon managed a couple of determined flurries at the start of the second half. Substitutes Steve Cowe and Charlie Griffin both contrived good curling efforts, Griffin’s striking the post. But by this time City had already moved into cruise control. Kennedy smashed home their second when Jeff Whitley’s pass found him all alone on the edge of the box and only some excellent work by Talia kept the score down as he thwarted Dickov, twice, and Spencer Prior. Phil Craigie writing in The Sunday Times 2nd April 2000
