CITY 1 ARSENAL 2
Milk Cup 3rd Round
30th October 1985
Attendance 18,279
Scorers
City Davies(17)
Arsenal Nicholas(54), Allinson(76)
Ref Ron Bridges
City Nixon, Clements, Power, Reid, McCarthy, Phillips, Lillis, Baker, Davie, McNab, Simpson – Sub Melrose(55)
Arsenal Lukic, Anderson, Sansom, Davis, O’Leary, Caton, Williams, Allinson, Nicholas, Woodcock, Rix
FROM THE PRESS BOX
PATRICK BARCLAY WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 31ST OCTOBER 1985
Manchester City’s hopes of easing their financial burden with a Cup run were doused last night at Maine Road, where an unkind deflection off the home captain, Paul Power, sent Arsenal into the fourth round.
With 14 minutes remaining. City, having recovered rousirigly from an equaliser of quality by Nicholas. were pressing for a winner. Instead, Arsenal broke clear. and Allinson’s’ apparently innocuous shot, which Nixon had well covered, found its way between agonised, flat-footed goalkeeper and near post.
City were thoroughly dispirited by this and failed, in the time that was left, to rediscover a semblance of he form that had made them look plausible victors. They led at half-time through Davies, the former Chelsea striker, who joined he spirited Lillis in giving Arsenal’s defence an uncomfortable night.
Even after Nicholas’s reply and the immediate departure of the excellent Baker, alread limping after a tackle by Davis. the home side stayed on top. They won the majority of challenges against the Londoners, whose appetite for the fray could be questioned despite cautions issued to Rix. Davis and Allinson, along with City’s Reid, in the space of seven bone-jarring minutes.
Greater composure In front of goal woul have settled it in City’s favour but Davies, who had completed a crossfleld rnove by Simpson and Llillls with-a crisp shot across Lukic’s body to.put City ahead in the 17th minute, failed with a better chance from Simpson’s fine pass soon afterwards.
Arsenal made more of less, with Nicholas giving the classic example as he got the break of the ball in a tackle with McCarthy, waltzed forward until he spotted a promising gap, and skimmed an irresistible low drive wide of Nixon from the edge of the area. The winner, by contrast. was little more than a Joke, utterly lost on the City manager, Billy McNeill, who vented his frustration in a post-match tirade against the referee.
I remember this game when there was a giant milk bottle in the centre of the pitch before kick off and also Gordon Davies scored a hat-trick (only for the referee to disallow 2 of his perfect goals )