VALENCIA 2 CITY 0
Friendly
12th August 1986
attendance 30,000
scorers Fenoll(78), Perez(85), ?
City Suckling, Barrett, Wilson, Clements, McCarthy, Redmond, Davies, McNab, Baker, Christie, Simpson – subs ???
FROM THE PRESS BOX
PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 13TH AUGUST 1986
Manchester City went a game too far in their exhausting new season preparations.
They wet down 2-0 against Valencia last night after a lengthy detour on the way to Friday’s big confrontation with Barcelona deep down in the south of Spain in Huelva. In Valencia, the land of the Lladro, the Blues couldn’t figure out a way to make tired legs work effectively.
Said manager Billy McNeill: “On reflection this was a fixture we could have well done without. The players were totally tired out and with good reason. They were up at six in the morning then spent the next five hours travelling up here from Marbella.”
Clearly that stamina draining journey showed as City failed to get to grips with a Valencia this season forced to play in the Spanish second division for the first time in history.
Valencia’s first game in front of their own vociferous fans since taking the drop saw them attract a massive 30,000 to the imposing Louis Casanova Stadium, scene of Northern Ireland’s superb 1982 World Cup triumph over Spain.
And Valencia repaid that loyalty by exposing two late City defensive errors.
Said McNeill: “Despite the lateness of the kick off the heat was terrific. In the outcome we just didn’t have the legs to respond to the challenge in such a keen and at times hostile atmosphere. Yet there was still benefit of vital match practise and I believe it will be only later when those results will begin to emerge of how hard we have worked in the build-up to the new season.”
There was a major plus for McNeill with Earl Barrett, who had a brief outing against Malaga on Sunday, coming in for a full senior game at right back when he revealed yet again the great depth of youthful talent the club have at their disposal.
A late Clive Wilson slip when he carelessly conceded possession allowed Subirats scope to attack on the right and once Perry Suckling, another commanding performance from him, had committed himself, the ball was dragged across to Fennoll who scored easily.
The second goal came when Barrett unfortunately got in the way of a Perez 25 yarder, the ball took a huge diversion and Suckling had no chance oce more.