ASTON VILLA 3 CITY 0
Milk Cup 3rd Round
9th November 1983
attendance 23,922
Scorers Gibson(18), Evans(62), Mortimer(77)
Ref B Hill
City Williams, Ranson, May, Reid, Power, Caton, McNab, Kinsey, Parlane, Baker, Tolmie – sub Walsh(45)
Villa Spink, Williams, Gibson, Evans, Ormsby, Mortimer, Jones, Birch, Withe, McMahon, Rideout
FROM THE PRESS BOX
PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 10TH NOVEMBER 1983
Class eventually told as a killer second goal finally put paid to Manchester City’s League Milk Cup ambitions at Villa Park.
Until that fateful 62nd minute, City had managed to contain Aston Vila in a third round tie that provided an early barometer of just how far the Blues have advanced in their bid for an immediate return to the top flight.
Full marks for a brave battle, but evidence so far suggests that City are still no more than one of the better teams from the Second Division.
They were always in with a chance of salvaging something from their most demanding test so far, but Allan Evans sealed City’s fate when he outjumped Alex Williams following Colin Gibson’s corner to head the match-clinching second goal.
Steve Kinsey had a chance shortly before the crunching Steve McMahon tackle that has put him out of action again and Jim Tolmie had the goal at his mercy a minute after the break.
However, City’s normally clinical finisher for once revealed his fallibility, failing to connect after, an impressive Neil McNab-Paul Power link on the left.
And the Blues’ only other chance fell to Andy May, who shot straight at Nigel Spink, although by then Villa were home and dry, Dennis Mortimer having scored the third in the home side’s 3-0 success.
While City matched Villa for skill and commitment for more than an hour, their failure was again up front where neither Tolmie nor Derek Parlane really looked like adding to the 21 goals they have plundered between them so far this season.
It was left to Tommy Caton to take the honours again with a sterling performance in which he totally eclipsed England striker Peter Withe, particularly in the second half when City reshuffled after losng Kinsey.
McNab also worked tirelessly in midfield, where Graham Baker, too, made his presence felt after a stuttering start.