BRENTFORD 2 CITY 1
Littlewoods Cup 2nd Round 1st Leg
19th September 1989
Attendance 6,065
Scorers
City Oldfield(88)
Brentford Evans(9), Blissett(82)
Ref L Shapter
City Cooper, Fleming, Lake, Hinchcliffe, Bishop, Gayle, Redmond, White, Oldfield, Morley, McNab – Subs I Brightwell(unused), Megson(unused)
Brentford Parks, Buttigieg, Stanislaus, Millen, Evans, Ratcliffe, Jones, May, Cadette, Blissett, Smillie – Subs Cockram(75), Haag(75)
City knew this was a difficult Cup tie having lost 3-1 at Brentford the previous January. Surely over two legs this time the Littlewoods competition offered the ideal chance to knock over the third division side.
On a difficult playing surface at Griffin Park, City were given an early reminder of their FA Cup nightmare when Brentford took the lead after only ten minutes. Steve Redmond was heroic in defence as City withstood a searing examination. But disaster struck eight minutes from time when Blissett made it 2-0 for Brentford.
Humiliation threatened until David Oldfield popped up in the closing seconds with a goal that threw City a lifeline they gladly accepted.
MATCH REPORT PUBLISHED IN MANCHESTER CITY OFFICIAL HANDBOOK 1990/91