WEST HAM UNITED 2 CITY 1
League Division 1
30th November 1968
Attendance 33,082
Scorers
City Lee(77 pen)
West Ham Hurst(3), Peters(15)
Ref W Gow
City Dowd, Mann, Pardoe, Doyle, Booth, Oakes, Lee, Bell, Summerbee, Young, Connor – sub Kennedy(unused)
West Ham Ferguson, Bonds, Stephenson, Cushley, Charles, Moore, Boyce, Redknapp, Dear, Hurst, Peters
In an entertaining game where you could say both sides deserved a point, indeed City dominated the second half, it was two great goals from the Hammers that ultimately won the game for them.
Joe Mercer exclaimed “We knew what Hurst and Peters could produce. So we spent much of last week planning to stop them. Then they score goals like that… what can you do?
We were very much aware of the spectacular goals West Ham can score, but we didn’t dream they would get two in the first ten minutes.”
The first came after just three minutes, when Hurst athletically headed in from a Peters’ cross. The second in the 10th minute had Hurst crossing this time, with plenty of pace on the ball and Peters thundered a bullet header past Dowd from a good 14 yards out.
Despite this early demoralising start, City rallied and despite some excellent possession they could only manage one goal in reply, a late penalty from Francis Lee in the 77th minute.
