CITY 3 COVENTRY CITY 1
League Division 1
25th April 1978
Attendance 32,412
Ref C Seel
Scorers
City Kidd(5), Hartford(15), Owen(50 pen)
Coventry Green(61)
Ref C Seel
City Corrigan, Clements, Donachie, Booth, Watson, Owen, Kidd, Channon, Bell, Hartford, Power – sub Barnes(unused)
Coventry Blyth, Roberts, McDonald, Yorath, Holton, Osgood, Green, Wallace, Ferguson, Powell, Beck – sub Thompson(22)
‘KIDDO’ CELEBRATES SCORING CITY’S FIRST GOAL
ASA HARTFORD SCORES CITY’S SECOND
FROM THE PRESS BOX
PATRICK BARCLAY WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 26TH APRIL 1978
Peter Barnes, reduced by his manager to the role of substiute less than a week after he had tormented the Brazilians at Wembley, remained half-forgotten on the touch line as Manchester City gave their best home performance for two months in beating Coventry
City last night.
They were never in serious trouble after goals from Kidd and Hartford in the first quarter of an hour had provided ample reply to critics of Tony Book’s decision to omit Barnes in favour of retainmg the 4-4-2 selection which had brought a convincing victory at Birmingham on Saturday.
The result did little for Coventry’s hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Cup.
The home team’s own push for Europe began to gather strength from the fifth minute when Power, with a left-wing break worthy of Barnes hirnself, engineered the first goal, Collecting a ball played superbly along the line by Hartford, he crossed delicately beyond the far post for Kidd to head wide of Blylh.
The goalkeeper was beaten again by Hartford, who dispossessed Osgood 15 yards inside the Coventry half and ran on confidently before scoring with a low, angled shot. Holton went off injured shortly afterwards and was replaced by Thompson with Yorath moving back. Their opponents’ tactics of breaking from midfield continued intermittently to stretch a man-for-man defence and Kidd had a confident penalty claim reected shortly before half-time.
McDonald, whose tackle escaped censure on that occasion, was less fortunate after the interval when Channon went down while trying to pass him and the referee awarded a penalty. McDonald was booked for his adverse reaction, as was Wallace after Owen had scored from the spot. Green reduced the deficit from Wallace’s cross. shortly after Thompson had missed badly from close range, but the home team regained command long before the end and Hartford had the last word by hitting a post.