CITY 2 WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1
League Division 1
29th August 1981
attendance 36,187
Scorers
City Hutchison(15), Tueart(31)
West Brom Mills(73)
ref Trelford Mills
City Corrigan, Ranson, McDonald, Reid, Caton, Hutchison, O’Neill, Tueart, Boyer, Power, Reeves – sub Henry(63)
West Brom Godden, Batson, Statham, Moses, Wile, Bennett, Robson, Mills, Deehan, Lowery, MacKenzie – sub Cross(67)
TOMMY HUTCHISON SMASHES CITY INTO THE LEAD
FROM THE PRESS BOX
For a fleeting moment, Manchester City’s transformation was complete,. Ten months ago they were wandering aimlessly among the foothills of the first division. Then John Bond arrived, bringing with him a sense of direction, and at four o’clock on Saturday afternoon they stood on top of the first division.
Mr Bond. though, is not content merely to plant a flag on the mountain peak and then climb down. He expects to strengthen his team within the next few days, having failed to sign Jordan, Barnes and Fashanu, with at least one expensive acquisition and perhaps two or three. At the top of his shopping list still is Francis
There was only one City newcomer at Maine Road, O‘Neill, who arrived in June from Norwich City, Mr Bond’s old club, although Boyer almost qualifies as another, having been absent since the beginning of the year with ruptured knee ligaments. The presence of Tueart, too. was unlikely but recent transfer negotiations with three clubs all broke down.
West Bromwich Albion, themselves under the new management of Ronnie Allen after the departure of Ron Atkinson to Manchester United, also showed off their one new buy, Mackenzie, who left Maine Road only a fortnight ago.
It was therefore an unsettled trio, who missed the support of Owen and the aid of Regis, both injured during a triumphant close season tournament in Spain that also involved. Southampton. They blossomed in the humid air during the opening 10 minutes and they came back to life in the closing 20. In between, they wilted in the heat.
City, whose travels during the summer included an 8-1 defeat by Werder Bremen, controlled the hour in the middle and the man to convert their superiority into goals was Hutchison, the hero and villain of the FA Cup final. The one that gave City the lead after a quarter of an hour was their first of the season, and it may well come to be regarded as the best. Hutchison began it by finding Power in space. His chip was nodded down by Boyer and Hutchison was there to end it by stroking a half-volley past Godden. Albion’s goalkeeper was to make two important saves from Power (who would have done better to put the emphasis on direction instead) and Reeves before he was beaten again after half an hour.
Hutchison floated. a corner on to the top of Reeves’s head and Tueart, as he had done last season against Albion, nodded in what proved to be the winner. Bennett’s weak back pass gave Reeves the chance to secure victory but Godden took it away and suddenly, after a glimpse of Robson’s talent, City’s first three- point victory was in danger. Robson‘s afternoon in front of Ron Greenwood had been anything but inspired when he collected a ball outside the area and used Moses and Mills as walls to go inside lt where he was bundled over by 0’Neill. Mills sent Corrigan the wrong way.
STUART JONES WRITING IN THE TIMES 31ST AUGUST 1981
