West Bromwich Albion v Manchester City 1978/79

WEST BROMWICH ALBION 4 CITY 0

League Division 1

4th April 1979

attendance 22,314

scorers Trewick(9), Power(39 og), Mills(55), Summerfield(88)

City Corrigan, Donachie, Power, Booth, Silkman, P Futcher, Henry, Viljoen, Channon, Palmer, Hartford – sub Reid(74)

West Brom Godden, Batson, Statham, Trewick, Wile, Robertson, Robson, Mills, Regis, Cantello, Cunningham – sub Summerfield(67)

FROM THE PRESS BOX

PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 5TH APRIL 1979
Manchester City’s saving grace at The Hawthorns was that West Brom’s two deadliest marksmen were not facing them.
It’s frightening to consider the implications had Ally Brown and Tony Brown, with 34 goals between them this season, been playing instead of sidelined casualties.
While one can have a certain amount of sympathy for a side once more hit by illness and injury, the brutal truth is that the Blues are pale shadows of the side that started the present campaign on such a blaze of optimism and glory.
City are, tragically, at their lowest eb for years and end of term will be a merciful relief for everyone concerned at Maine Road.
Yet before even the small consolation that can be looked ahead to there remains the not insignificant task of acquiring the half dozen or so points still required to make First Division safety a certainty.
And on current form, obtaining that target will be no easy task for a team who have sadly lost their way in spiritless fashion.
They were killed stone dead by an early John Trewick goal that left them fighting an uphill battle all the way against a side still with ambitions of overhauling League eaders Liverpool.
Some of City’s first half football was pretty to watch with an attractive killer punch. But then what more do you expect from a side that has just sold it’s leading scorer?
City ultimately became aimless in midfield, careless at the back, and the outcome was the heaviest defeat of the season. In fact, City were arguably lucky to escape with a 4-0 hiding.
It culd have been half a dozen, even more had Albion been a shade more careful with their finishing as they ran the Blues ragged in an embarrassing manner.
There were few, if any successes on a night of shame for one of the poorest City sides seen in recent years.
Robbed of Dave Watson, Peter Barnes and Kaziu Deyna because of sickness, plus the self-inflicted wound of dropping young England captain Gary Owen, City were sadly short of experienced depth, craft and guile against a team who played like they did 10 years ago, all spirit, all effort, all endeavour and, above all, exciting aggression.
In short, Albion looked a flash back to the City side that came from behind to pinch the League title, just as West Brom are tring to do.
Tommy Booth bravely tried to hold the defence together against unrelenting pressure from the powerful Cyrille Regis and dancing Laurie Cunningham. David Mills sniped with deadly accuracy to celebrate with his first home goal following the £500,000 move from Middlesbrough.
Asa Hartford battled to try to keep the midfield effort flowing on his return to The Hawthorns as City skipper, but he had insufficient support.
There were smooth touches from Barry Silkman, too, although overall City were completely outclassed.