OLDHAM ATHLETIC 0 CITY 2
League Division 2
1st December 1984
attendance 14,129
scorers Melrose(50), Smith(68)
Ref K Walmsley
City Williams, May, Power, Reid, McCarthy, Phillips, Smith, Baker, Melrose, Wilson, Kinsey – sub Cunningham(unused)
Oldham Goram, Hoolickin, Donachie, McDonough, Clements, Henry, Ward, Palmer, Quinn, Parker, McBride – sub Bullock(73)
FROM AN ARTICLE BY JOHN MADDOCKS, PUBLISHED IN THE CITY PROGRAMME 2ND DECEMBER 1989
… It seemed that the Latics were discouraged early on after their promising raids ending in nothing, and gradually City assumed command. Clive Wilson was a constant threat in midfield and he twice put Baker through the home defence though Goram was equal to the situation. Wilson himself hit a post, McBride then handled, and again it was Goram to the rescue as he saved Smith’s penalty.
Goals just had to come, however, and City’s first arrived five minutes after the break. Wilson, Baker and Phillips opened the Oldham defence and Melrose supplied the finish, his first goal for the Blues since his transfer from Celtic. Then mid-way through the half Smith ran onto a pass from Baker and hammered a superb shot past Goram.
FROM THE CITY PROGRAMME 8TH DECEMBER 1984
Century-marksman Gordon Smith won’t be taking any more penalties for City. lt’s his own decision following the 11th minute spot shot he had saved long before the scoring started at Oldham Athletic last Saturday.
lt was Gordon’s debut penalty with the Blues, and only the second time in his career that the big Scot has missed from the spot.
“l took a lot of stick from my team-mates for that miss. They were very hard on me. Fortunately it tumed out well for us in the end with a 2-O win and at least l had the chance to make some amends by scoring the second goal. But l do believe that if you fail from the spot then the next opportunity should go to someone else. And that’s the way it will be” Gordon smiled.
lt took a full-length stretch from Oldham’s outstanding young ’keeper Andy Goram to keep the ball out-“yes, it was a decent save. But l should have hit the ball with more pace. The direction was right, about 2-ft high and heading for the comer, but it didn’t have the usual steam l put into penalty kicks. l don’t really know why, but l changed my style of penalty taking. . . normally l put more strength into the kick. At Oldham l thought the direction would be good enough to get it in.
“l spoke to young Goram afterwards and he said he’d made up his mind which way he was going to dive and he went early in his movement to stop the shot. He chose right. And l’d been confident he would dive the other way,” Gordon continued.
lt was the first penalty he’d taken since converting one for Brighton in a match at Blackbum Rovers on 24th September last year. That took his tally of spot successes to 7, including a critical kick for Brighton in a home match against Everton in April 1983. “l know that if l missed that one we’d be certain to get relegated. But l scored. Trouble was we still lost the match and Brighton did get relegated” he mused.
Gordon’s only previous boob was a complete miss of the target in a Brighton match against Sheffield Wednesday. But he might have sensed trouble was in store last Saturday.
“ln training on the day prior to the Oldham game l had a penalty kick saved. And ironically that week a City fan had been asking me who would be taking the penalties with Jim Tolmie out of the side and Kevin Bond gone to Southampton. l told him l’d been nominated a few games ago. l didn’t think it would happen so quickly after those omens.”
At least Gordon had the ample consolation of attaining a milestone at Oldham. His 68th minute goal, which made it 2-0, was his 100th in Scottish and English League soccer. “ln a way l’m pleased that l reached my century with a more memorable goal than a penalty kick” he said impishly…