Ipswich Town v Manchester City 1988/89

IPSWICH TOWN 1 CITY 0

League Division 2

8th October 1988

attendance 15,521

Scorer Dozzell(31)

Ref P Danson

City Dibble, Seagraves, Hinchcliffe, Gayle, Biggins, Redmond, White, Moulden, Morley, McNab, Lake – subs Williams(13), Gleghorn(unused)

Ipswich Forrest, Yallop, Hill, Zondervan, Humes, Linighan, Lowe, Dozzell, Milton, Atkinson, D’Avray – subs Stockwell, Kiwomya

FROM THE PRESS BOX 

FRANK McGHEE WRITING IN THE OBSERVER 9TH OCTOBER 1988
The name of Manchester City striker Paul Moulden is immortalised in the ‘Guinness Book of Records’ for scoring almost 300 goals in a single season as a Bolton schoolboy, 16 in one game.
Right now he would probably swap them all for the three he missed in the Second half of this match. Unmarked at the far post when a free-kick from McNab reached him in the 48th minute, he steered it back across goal and wide of the near post.
He is still wondering how he failed to score three minutes later when, alone in front of an open goal, a gentle header plopped into the arms of goalkeeper Forrest after a great breakaway run and cross by central defender Gayle. Then, in the 60th minute, when he did shoot firmly, Forrest managed to save with his feet.
City were left reflecting ruefully that they have not won at Portman Road for a quarter of a century and only once in their history. But they can’t complain that they didn’t have their chances, particularly as Ipswich had to play the last 17 minutes with only 10 men, central defender Linighan having been sent off for a flagrant off-the-ball assault on City centre-forward Morley. Even the smell of sulphur, acrimony and revenge in the air for much of it could not completely sour the memory of a bright display of attacking football from two teams fully entitled to their First Division dreams.
Ipswich midfield man Dozzell started the trouble in the 13th minute with a challenge so late and reckless that his booking by referee Danson seemed a light punishment. His victim, City full-back Seagraves, was signalling for a stretcher as he fell on the first stage of his journey to hospital, because no-one knows more quickly than the victim when an injury is serious.
City, despite a reshuffle, had a spell of control springing from the midfield superiority of the lively Lake and McNab but they came unstuck with a well-contrived goal in the 30th minute. A free-kick on the halfway line by Linighan was headed on by D’Aray to Lowe, always the liveliest of Ipswich’s early attackers. He flicked it on for Dozzell to score.
It did not improve that man’s popularity with the strident section of City supporters behind the goal but they should have been more concerned about the way their team’s rhythm fell to pieces.
They could in fact have been further behind by half-time but for the heroics of Dibble advancing from his line to stop Lowe and Dozzell.
Much of the second half was a bit chase-the-ball, Hackney Marshes stuff but it still provided a full quota of excitement and goalmouth incident right to the end.