CITY 1 STOKE CITY 0
League Division 1
9th November 1974
attendance 36,966
scorer Marsh(20)
Ref J Bent
City MacRae, Hammond, Donachie, Doyle, Barrett, Oakes, Summerbee, Bell, Marsh, Hartford, Tueart – sub Barnes(unused)
Stoke Farmer, Marsh, Pejic, Mahoney, Smith, Dodd, Haslegrave, Greenhoff, Hurst, Hudson, Salmons – sub Conroy(31)
PETER SWALES PRESENTS ALAN OAKES WITH A SILVER PLATE TO MARK HIS 500TH GAME, PRIOR TO KICK-OFF
FROM THE PRESS BOX
AURA OF CHAMPIONS IS MISSING
ALAN DUNN WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 11TH NOVEMBER 1974
A combination of events saw Manchester City steal to the top of the First Division on Saturday, but their part in it was not so commanding and flourishing as their supporters would have wished. Victory by a single goal over a Stoke City team of little ambition left open many questions on Manchester’s ability to sustain their challenge.
Tony Book, Manchester’s manager, felt that his team were tremendous and so they were for the opening half hour, exemplified by Bell’s bold surges through a confused Stoke defence and Marsh’s blending of artistry and graft that signaled his intention to have a good game.
Farmer brilliantly saved a powerful shot from Oakes, then turned aside a volley on the turn from Marsh. In between, the City midfield of Bell, Doyle and Hartford comfortably won possession and varied their pressure. That pressure may have left one or two of the Stoke defenders bemused, for Smith and Mahoney certainly looked confused when Summerbee chipped the ball forward after 20 minutes and neither could clear it before Marsh’s insistency. Marsh promptly made the most of the half chance to score with a jabbing shot.
It was the high point of the game, not to be approached again. The rest never was uninteresting, nor compelling. And for that Stoke were much to blame. They played the offside trap tp absurdity; Hudson and Mahoney regularly fell over each other and consequently created little; Hurst was merely statuesque, for which in part the admirable Barrett has to be given credit; and one was left wondering whether they were merely being negative or were confused.
They came into the game with a late flurry of activity especially when Salmons slanted through out of midfield, that itself raised two questions: why they had left it so late, and is the Manchester defence good enough for championship pretenders? Oakes and Barrett remained solid, but the rest became anxious as Hurst and Greenhoff beat the cover but missed the goal.
Manchester continued all through to build well without reward. Tueart, returned after injury, was naturally patchy and Summerbee only flickered, but, to compensate, Marsh had a sound, hard-working game, spoiled only by his being booked in the last minute for a gesture suggestive that someone was short of grey matter; the ref felt that he was referring to the linesman, Marsh claimed that he was signalling disrespectfully to his manager.
Hartford gave substance to the midfield and the whole side remained competitive throughout, but top or not, the aura of championship has not yet begun to settle around Manchester, while for Stoke it is as remote as ever.
