West Bromwich Albion v Manchester City 1985/86

WEST BROMWICH ALBION 2 CITY 3

Canon League Division 1

26th August 1985

Attendance 12,122

Scorers
City Lillis(28), Simpson(44), Wilson(79)
West Brom Mackenzie(7 & 78)

Ref Roger Milford

City Williams, May, Wilson, Clements, McCarthy, Phillips, Lillis, McNab, Kinsey, McIlroy, Simpson – Sub Tolmie(unused)

FROM THE PRESS BOX

PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 27TH AUGUST 1985
Never say die, that’s the spirit of a new-look Manchester City.
Even a meagre two points from three opening games in which an unseen self-destruct button was alamingly depressed failed to sap confidence.
Neither did the loss of an early goal at The Hawthorns last night rock the morale of a side clearly having difficulty finding its First Division feet.
All it achieved was to provide the spur for even greater grit and determination in carving out the season’s first victory with the 3-2 success anchoring West Brom firmly at the foot of the table.
… Even the loss of two cracking goals from aine Road old boy Steve Mackenzie failed to put them out of their stride.
… Kenny Clements, having a marvellous start to the season, never gave Imre Varadi a look in and Mick McCarthy won everything in the air against Gerry Armstrong.
They formed a rock solid partnership in front of Alex Williams, who made a string of important saves at the peak of home pressure in the second half when Albion were trailing 2-1.
Mackenzie’s second goal, almost a carbon copy of his Wembley cracker for City against Spurs in the 1981 FA Cup Final replay, threw West Brom a lifeline that could have changed the entire course of the game.
However, while home players and fans alike were still celebrating the equaliser. steve Kinsey cut in from the left hand bye-line to set up the chance from which stand-in full back Clive Wilson cracked a glorious winner.
It was no more than City deserved. They had looked in trouble when Mackenzie gave Albion a seventh minute lead with a crisp 18 yarder that went in off the inside of a post.
But Neil McNab, working hard in midfield throughout, saw his shot rebound off a post and with goalkeeper Tony Godden going one way, Mark Lillis intelligently flighted his header in the other direction and City were level.
Paul Simpson was again a scoring hero when he flighted in the second a minute before the break leaving manager Billy McNeill saying: “The kid has got a knack of scoring goals, two in four games, not bad for a 19 year old in the First Division.