Manchester City v Coventry 1967/68

CITY 3 COVENTRY CITY 1

League Division 1

9th March 1968

Attendance 33,310

Scorers
City Summerbee(19), Bell(49), Young(79)
Coventry Tudor(77)

Ref R Tinkler

City Mulhearn, Book, Pardoe, Doyle, Heslop, Oakes, Lee, Bell, Summerbee, Young, Coleman – sub Kennedy(45)

Coventry Glazier, Bruck, Clements, Machin, Setters, Tudor, Hannigan, Baker, Martin, Car, Rees – sub Lewis(29)

FROM THE PRESS BOX

TWO SENT OFF AT MAINE ROAD

Dietmar Bruck, the Coventry full back and Manchester City forward Tony Coleman were sent off three minutes before half-time in a tough match at Maine Road.
Coleman appeared to aim a punch at Bruck when they clashed near the touchline. Referee Tinkler sent off both players after consulting his linesman.
Mike Summerbee gave Manchester the lead after 19 minutes when he headed home following a Coleman corner.
Colin Bell made it 2-0 after 49 minutes.
Wearing an all red chang strip, Coventry made a bright opening when they kicked off facing the sun.
Machin, with a long swinging pass sent Hannigan away down the right wing and when his centre came over Martin touched it down for Machin to shoot high and wide.
Manchester countered with a left wing probe which earned them a corner. It was cleared by an abnormally long goal-kick from Glazier which gave Baker a chance to burst through.
With Oakes challenging him, and the ball bouncing awkwardly, Baker could not get in an effective shot.
There was trouble for Coventry when Setters fouled Lee just outside the penalty area. Lee took the free kick, but he was racing in just a bit too fast to pick up a quick deflection by Summerbee.
In the 13th minute, the Coventry goal had a lucky escape. A long throw by Doyle found Lee by the near post and the winger slipped a short pass inside to set up a chance for Summerbee.
England’s new ‘cap’ seemed to be taken by surprise and Glazier quickly spotting his chance grabbed the ball from Summerbee’s feet.
In the 19th minute Coventry went a goal down, Manchester forced a corner on the right and Coleman sent over a wicked, high inswinger.
Bell got there first with his head and as the ball came down again Summerbee just beat Glazier with another header which went in off the underside of the crossbar.

MIKE SUMMERBEE IS CONGRATULATED ON SCORING CITY’S FIRST GOAL

Play had barely restarted before there was a long delay while Setters and Bell both received attention following a clash of heads. It was fully three minutes before they recovered.
Although trailing, Coventry were keeping well in the game but there was more trouble for them in the 29th minute when Baker pulled up limping as he chased a through pass.
He appeared to have pulled a thigh muscle as he hobbled round the running track and Lewis the substitute came on in his place.
There was an unpleasant clash between Setters and Coleman, althugh referee Tinkler dismissed it with a bounce up.
Mr Tinkler then made himself unpoular with the Maine Road crowd when he refused a penalty as Tudor brought down Summerbee well inside the area.
The game had already showed signs of becoming a strongly physical match and in the 42nd minute it erupted and both teams had a player sent off.
Bruck and Coleman clashed near the touchline under the directors’ box and there was pandemonium when Coleman appeared to aim a kick at the Coventry full-back.
Mr Tinkler consulted a linesman and there was a good deal of pushing and shoving among the players of both sides before the official decided to send both players to the dressing rooms.

COVENTRY’S BRUCK IS SENT OFF ALONG WITH TONY COLEMAN

So it was ten men against ten when the game resumed although there was a new player on view in the Manchester side. Oakes had been withdrawn by manager Joe Mercer and Kennedy took his place.
In the 49th minute Coventry were two goals behind as the result of a swift Manchester break out.
Doyle flicked out a pass to Summerbee, who had moved out to the right wing. Summerbee centred to the far post where Bell rose to nod the ball down and Glazier, although he got a foot to it, could not prevent the ball from spinning over the line.

COLIN  BELL GRABS CITY’S SECOND GOAL

Mr Tinkler’s policy now seemed to be one of extreme severity at any sign of trouble. In the 52nd minute he appeared to book Tudor after a tackle on a Manchester player.
GEOFFREY BEANE WRITING IN THE SPORTS ARGUS 11TH MARCH 1968

Young completed the scoring 11 minutes from the end with a fierce shot taken in full stride from 15 yards. Two inutes earlier, Coventry had surprisingly scored through Tudor, who, although at first impeded, managed to complete a weak shot from which the ball spun home from Mulhearn’s grasp.
BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 11TH MARCH 1968