CITY 1 STOKE CITY 1
League Division 1
9th January 1982
attendance 31,951
scorers
City Francis(62)
Stoke O’Callaghan(39)
Ref G Owen
City Corrigan, Ryan, McDonald, Reid, Caton, O’Neill, Reeves, Francis, Hartford, Hutchison – sub Hareide(unused)
Stoke Fox, Evans, Kirk, Dodd, Watson, Doyle, Lumsden, O’Callaghan, Chapman, Bracewell, Johnson – Sub Smith(unused)
IT’S ANOTHER GOAL FOR TREVOR FRANCIS!
FROM THE PRESS BOX
PATRICK BARCLAY WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 11TH JANUARY 1982
John Bond issued one of his less controversial statements on Saturday evening. “At this moment in time.” the Manchester City manager said, “we are not good enough to win the championship.” ,
The evidence suggested as much. Bond’s team would have returned to the top had they beaten Stoke City, losers on five of nine previous First Division journeys, but they could not achieve the creative impetus to do so and now the leaders, Ipswich Town, have
four matches in hand as well as a superior goal diiference.
There is no lack of valid excuses for Manchester City. They have, after all, come a long way since Bond arrived 15 months ago and saved them from relegation, and this season their balance has been disturbed by several long-term injuries.
The impatient Bond is not. however, looking for excuses and he found Saturdays performance frustrating “Too many players were standing about waiting for things to happen.” Fortunately for Manchester City, an exception was Francis whose marvellous equaliser reminded the club that there will always be hope while he is around.
The wisdom of his £1 million signing is already apparent. Whether Manchester City will eventually reap dividends from their more modest investment in underfloor heating remains to be seen. Oddly enough. they have had more success lately on other people’s heated pitches, Coventry’s and Liverpools, than their own, but it is nevertheless likely that Ipswich and other rivals for honours will be envying City’s lack of fixture congestion in the not too distant future.
There was, however, an uncomfortable reminder of their past on Saturday, with the 35 year-olds Watson and Doyle forming a formidable barrier at the heart of Stoke’s defence. Watson in particular looked in excellent form, emerging from two months in Southampton’s reserves to hint that his England career may not be over.
A consequence of Watson’s arrival at Stoke is that 0’Callaghan has the chance to form a striking partnership, in more senses than one, with the almost equally sizeable young Chapman. lt worked promisingly at Maine Road, with O’Callaghan turning well to score during an otherwise barren first half.
Though Manchester City stirred themselves afterwards with O’Neill helping Hartford in midfield, Stoke looked sufficiently well organised to keep them out until Francis sprinted clear to lob Fox exquisitely. The goalkeeper, whose advance gave Francis
his target, was otherwise impressive and he promptly redeemed his performance with saves from O’Neill and Francis.
