CITY 5 FULHAM 1
League Division 1
16th March 1968
attendance 30,773
Scorers
City Young(2 goals), Bell(63), Lee, Summerbee
Fulham Clarke(13)
Ref P Baldwin
City Mulhearn, Book, Pardoe, Doyle, Heslop, Kennedy Lee, Bell, Summerbee, Young, Coleman – sub Connor(unused)
Fulham Seymour, Brown, Dempsey, Matthewson, Nichuls, Conway, Haynes, Callaghan, Earle, Clarke, Barrett – sub Kerrigan
GOALS FOR NEIL YOUNG AND COLIN BELL
FROM THE PRESS BOX
CITY MUST IMPROVE DEFENCE TO STAY AT THE TOP
One expects deeper Veins of flint in championship aspirants and relegation stragglers than were detectable for much of the match at Maine Road on Saturday. The apportionment of talent was amply demonstrated in the end, but Manchester were sedately orthodox and unenterprising for so long it seemed they knew their place and doubted their right to disturb the supremacy of their neighbours from across the city. Indeed, it required a score board announcement that United were toiling at Coventry to convince them that they might, and to inject the verve which took them to the head of the championship on goal average.
Perhaps Fulham are tired of the monotony of annual feats of escapology and are at last resigned to joining Iower company. They had an attractive. orderly rhythm which might have extended an uncertain Manchester defence had it been allied to zeal and spirit, but both were noticeably absent. Evan an opening goal by Clarke after 13 minutes was insufficient to kindle them. Yet Fulham, now deeply rooted in the trough of the championship, were in the match so long as Haynes could harness their effort and Dempsey could effectively hinder Summerbee. Both were accomplished splendidly at the outset. A stream of passes from Haynes, all bearing his old impeccable hallmark, threatened to pierce City’s guard. Apart from the one which brought Clarke’s goal, the rest were unproductive because there was no one of his stature to make better use of them.
Fulham had little opportunity to draw encouragement from their opening blow, though, for Bell equalised immediately and in another 10 minutes Summerbee had shown he could elude the attentive Dempsey to provide Young with a second.
Lee scored a third after Seymour had splendidly parried his shot from the penalty spot, and Young and Summerbee completed Fulham‘s dejection. But only an infusion of greater defensive resilience will prolong City‘s stay at the top, for next on their fixture list. are Leeds and Manchester United, whose qualities certainly do not embrace charity gently.
TOM GERMAN WRITING IN THE TIMES 18TH MARCH 1968
