MIDDLESBROUGH 3 CITY 0
League Division 1
21st August 1979
attendance 24,002
scorers Johnson(14), Burns(57), Cummins(89)
City Corrigan, Ranson, Stepanovic, Caton, Booth, Power, MacKenzie, Silkman, Robinson, Henty, Deyna – used sub Viljoen
Middlesbrough Platt, Craggs, Bailey, Johnston, Ashcroft, McAndrew, Hodgson, Proctor, Jankovic, Burns, Armstrong – sub Cummins(79)
FROM AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE MIDDLESBROUGH PROGRAMME 19TH AUGUST 1992
… On the morning of the match there was sad news from Maine Road that England international Colin Bell, with over 400 games for City to his credit, announced his retirement from the game.
Boro got off to a flying start on 14 minutes when defender Craggs sent David Hodgson racing away down the wing and the young Tynesider’s pace carried him through the City defence. A quick pass inside to Craig Johnston saw the ball flash past big Joe Corrigan and we were in the lead.
Without exaggeration Corrigan, denied seven first half goals to Boro and he received a great standing ovation from the appreciative Ayresome Park crowd. Twelve minutes into the second half Mark Proctor passed the ball out to overlapping Craggs on the right and Boro’s attacking defender created enough space to cause panic in the City defence. His cross was measured to perfection and Micky Burns headed Boro further ahead. In the last minute of play Corrigan could only parry Burns’ shot to the feet ot Stan Cummins and Boro’s substitute, on tor Bosco Jankovic, pushed the loose ball back into the net.
Allison was magnanimous in deteat and was quoted to have said at the after-match press conterence, through a cloud of blue cigar smoke, ”. . . that was the best Middlesbrough side I have ever seen.”
That night Boro were proud leaders at the First Division (that has not happened otten in the 116 years history of the club), with
maximum points, with six goals scored and only one conceded.