ASTON VILLA 0 CITY 0
League Division 1
4th April 1987
attendance 18,241
Ref Keith Hackett
City Suckling, Gidman, Wilson, Clements, McCarthy, Langley, White, McNab, Varadi, Stewart, I Brightwell – sub Simpson(unused)
Villa Spink, Williams, Dorigo, Keown, Elliott, Cooper, Birch, Thompson, Gray, Hunt, Walters – Sub Stainrod(56)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
REPORT FROM IRELAND’S SATURDAY NIGHT 4TH APRIL 1987
Manchester City carried the score of the worst away record in the First Division into a relegation cliffhanger at rainswept Villa Park today.
Without a win in 24 away matches, 16 of which failed to produce a goal, they showed no obvious sign of alternating the trend on a day of tension.
No one felt the pressure more than Villa boss, Billy McNeill. He left Maine Road for better things in September but faced his former club in the First Division basement.
McNeill had the first good news when Andy Gray declared himself fit, and it was the old Scottish war horse who eventually put some life into a nondescript game.
A flick onto Mark Walters produced a weak shot by the Villa winger and then Gray headed straight at Perry Suckling after a smart break by Tony Dorigo.
Walters and Paul Birch fired in further efforts to show that Villa were holding the balance of power, but bottom of the table City survived without too much concern.
Their own attempts to break the deadlock were channelled in the direction of new striker Paul Stewart. But the £200,000 newcomer from Blackpool discovered that First Division defenders such as Paul Elliott and Martin Keown will not be disturbed by pace alone.
Though City managed to apply a little more pressure with the wind behind them, there was never any real hope that the game would be lifted out of its mediocrity.
Villa became more and more frustrated by their inability to break down City’s resolute defence and in the end the Maine Road side were well worth their point.
But a draw did little to help either club in the battle for survival.