WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1 CITY 0
Football League Division 2
26th October 1988
attendance 14,258
Scorer Durnin(40)
Ref Keith Burge
City Dibble, Gleghorn, Hinchcliffe, Gayle, Biggins, Redmond, White, Moulden, Morley, McNab, I Brightwell – subs Bradshaw(62), Simpson(unused)
West Brom Naylor, Dobbins, Albiston, Talbot, Whyte, North, Hopkins, Durnin, Palmer, Anderson – subs Dyson(unused), Goodman(unused)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
IAN WILLARS WRITING IN THE BIRMINGHAM MAIL 27TH OCTOBER 1988
Likely lad John Durnin scored the first of what will undoubtfully be a hatful of Football League goals at The Hawthorns last night.
The significance will not have gone unnoticed, either, by Liverpool, who have loaned the 23 year old goal poacher to Albion for a month.
Kenny Dalglish had one of his scouts watching the former Sunday League footballer from Waterloo Docks FC.
What it says could be bad news for Albion and all the other clubs hoping to prise him away from the Champions.
Certainly his transfer value will multiply as he knocks the goals in and with the present crazy transfer market as it is he would most probably now fetch £250,000 of anybody’s money.
Albion aim to enjoy their good fortune in securing the services of a nippy, little goalscoring gem who opened his account in the 40th minute with a brilliant piece of intelligence and then nearly made it hat-trick in the next three minutes.
Second Division promotion hopefuls Manchester City just could not catch their breath after Durnin had cleverly stole past Brian Gayle when the giant defender misjudged a long upfield ball from Wayne Dobbins.
With goalkeeper Andy Dibble advancing, Durnin calmly drove his right foot shot past him in off the far post. And he then forced the goalkeeper to quickly pull down another shot, which would not have counted because of a foul seconds earlier, before he almost succeeded in lobbing a second goal after a through ball from Gary Robson.
Albion’s biggest crowd of the season immediately took him to their hearts before reminding the club’s directors that they want Talbot to take over the manager’s job…