NEWCASTLE UNITED 2 CITY 2
League Division 1
29th March 1978
Attendance 20,246
Scorers
City Palmer(15 & 70)
Newcastle Kennedy(53), Bird(92)
Ref A Challinor
City Corrigan, Clements, Donachie, Doyle, Watson, Owen, Channon, Booth, Palmer, Power, Barnes – sub Keegan(unused)
Newcastle Mahoney, Nattrass, Kennedy, Barton, Bird, Nulty, Barrowclough, Burns, Mitchell, McGhee, Walker – sub Kelly
FROM THE PRESS BOX
JOHN FORREST WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 30TH MARCH 1978
A desperate, last minute goal by Newcastle United central defender John Bird brought United an unexpected point at St James’s Park last night after two goals from a virtually unknown 19 year old centre forward, Roger Palmer, had put Manchester City in a seemingly impregnable position. Welcome though the point was to United, there seems little doubt that they will still be relegated. However they had one of their better games last night, playing with commendable spirit.
United began brightly and there was a worrying quarter of an hour for City, during which Corrigan twice saved boldly from Burns, before City took the lead through Palmer. Corrigan’s long clearance was headed on by Channon to Palmer, who brushed aside a half-hearted challenge to lob the ball into the goal as Mahoney came out.
United’s underlying anxiety showed itself in basic defensive errors, which City failed to punish in the first half, partly through hurried finishing, but largely because of two splendid stops by Mahoney from Booth and Barnes.
Meanwhile, United’s main threat was coming from McGhee, whose confident, close dribbling runs were causing the City defence problems.
After an uncertain start to the second half, United equalised after 53 minutes when Kennedy drove home Nulty’s short free kick from the edge of the penalty area. City regained the lead after 70 minutes when Power chased a long ball from Donachie to the byline to centre to Palmer, who scored easily off a defender.
Mahoney twice kept United in the game before the home side made a last minute charge upfield, and following a hectic scramble in the City goalmouth Bird forced the ball home.