PORT VALE 0 CITY 1
.
Friendly
.
31st July 1971
Attendance 4,742
Scorer Mellor(43)
Ref R Capey
City Corrigan, Donachie, Mann, Doyle, Booth, Towers, Summerbee, Jeffries, Mellor, Young, Hill – subs Lee Connor
Port Vale Ball, Brodie, Loska, Summerscales, Cross, Horton, Lacey, Mountford, ?, ?, ? – sub Gough
FROM THE PRESS BOX
Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison were more than satisfied on two counts at the outcome of an, at times, far from friendly clash at Port Vale. Manchester City at least emerged comparitively unscathed and intact from a 1-0 victory over the hard-hitting 3rd Division side. Their players showed little after effect from the first serious wotk out in a tough pre-season build up that cae just 24 hours after a far from normal strenuous day’s running.
Allison explained “We really pushed them hard on Friday, I was pleased at the response given and hardly any of the boys complained of tiredness afterwards.”
Mercer added “These sort of games are always hard encounters and in the circumstances I was happy with the way things went.”
City’s narrow victory achieved only in the face of some uncompromising tactics with Mike Summerbee and Mike Doyle often the focus of Vale’s vigorous tackles.
Both players were spoke to by the referee for acts of retaliation, unsavoury moments which came on top of running terrace fights to provide a gentle reminder that soccer was back with a flourish and that nothing had changed to bring peace during the close season.
Ian Mellor was again City’s saviour when he slotted home the only goal in the 43rd minute after a sweet move, the Blues’ only really serios bout of accurate attacking endeavour.
However they were always contriving to be positive with Tony Towers looking particurlarly busy while Neil Young and Freddie Hill, until his second half substitution by Francis Lee, provided a constant threat down the left.
PETER GARDNER WRITING FOR THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS
Allison explained “We really pushed them hard on Friday, I was pleased at the response given and hardly any of the boys complained of tiredness afterwards.”
Mercer added “These sort of games are always hard encounters and in the circumstances I was happy with the way things went.”
City’s narrow victory achieved only in the face of some uncompromising tactics with Mike Summerbee and Mike Doyle often the focus of Vale’s vigorous tackles.
Both players were spoke to by the referee for acts of retaliation, unsavoury moments which came on top of running terrace fights to provide a gentle reminder that soccer was back with a flourish and that nothing had changed to bring peace during the close season.
Ian Mellor was again City’s saviour when he slotted home the only goal in the 43rd minute after a sweet move, the Blues’ only really serios bout of accurate attacking endeavour.
However they were always contriving to be positive with Tony Towers looking particurlarly busy while Neil Young and Freddie Hill, until his second half substitution by Francis Lee, provided a constant threat down the left.
PETER GARDNER WRITING FOR THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS
The attendance was 4,742 as published in Vales programme from that season