EVERTON 0 CITY 0
League Division 1
2nd May 1987
attendance 37,541
Ref Neil Ashley
City Nixon, Wilson, Clements, McCarthy, Redmond, Langley, May, McNab, Varadi, Stewart, Simpson – Sub Moulden(unused)
Everton Southall, Stevens, Van den Hauwe, Ratcliffe, Watson, Reid, Steven, Heath, Clarke, Snodin, Power – Sub Harper(25)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
STEPHEN BIERLEY WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 4TH MAY 1987
Perhaps Beniamin Obadiah Zephaniah, having failed to become a Canibndge don, should be appointed the official poet to the Football League. A visit to Goodison on Saturday might have got him off to a rather soulful start: “The Day I Saw Everton and They Were Dread.”
Wind and Everton do not mix. It was force five or six on the Beaufort Scale and bits of things were being caught up in the swirl and carried far away: Evertorrs form included. They hacked and sliced their way about for 90 minutes like souls in torment.
Peter Reid, accidentally concussed midway through the first half, was sent to a nursing home for observation but should be fit this afternoon to face Norwich at Carrow Road, where a win would see the Championship sealed. Wayne Clarke was less fortunate.
damaging his shoulder in a late collision with Manchester City’s goalkeeper.
” We are ending the season as we started it.” said Howard Kendall, referring, of course, to the injuries and not his sides form. Like an expert potter, he has managed to keep the clay under his control for most of the season. drawing out many fine and elegantly shaped performances. But on Saturday the centre would not hold.
“We had no shape,” said Kendall. “We wanted to please the fans and we couldn’t.” City made it as dlfllcult as possible for Everton to perform the proper passes in proper places and themselves created the better chances. Stewart hitting the bar after a delightful buildup involving Langley and Simpson, and McNab failing to find a shot of sufiiclent pace or quality to disturb the monolithic Southall.
Langley, bought by Everton from Wigan and loaned to City, agaln played extremely well, doing a great deal to delay the championship medal which he will surely receive.
“We play well against the better sides, and muck it up against the poorer ones,” said Jlmmy Frizzell, encapsulatlng
an exasperatng season for City supporters.