CITY 2 MIDDLESBROUGH 1
League Division 1
28th March 1975
attendance 37,772
scorers
City Marsh(28), Bell(76)
Middlesbrough Mills(34)
ref Ken Burns
City Corrigan, Hammond, Donachie, Doyle, Booth, Oakes, Keegan, Bell, Marsh, Royle, Tueart – used sub Daniels
Middlesbrough Platt, Craggs, Cooper, Souness, Boam, Maddren, Murdoch, Mills, Hickton, Foggon, Armstrong – sub Smith(unused)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
ERIC TODD WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 29TH MARCH 1975
Middlebrough’s hopes of winning the League champion ship received a setback yesterday at Maine Road where Manchester City won 2-1 in a mostly undistinguished game. City now have collected 32 points from 19 matches at home compared with a miserable eight away, but this is City all over.
City owed a great deal to the stout defensive work of Oakes and Doyle , and most of all Joe Corrigan, who is not always everyone’s idea of a top class goalkeeper. In common with several of the City players he does some weird things, but yesterday he was brilliant in spite of damaging his right hand in the line of duty.
Mills was the first to suffer. He had the temerity to challenge Corrigan in possession and ended up on his back having bounced off the City goalkeeper, who glared at Mills as much as to say “what do you think you are doing?” In the second half Corrigan made fine saves from Hickton (twice): Craggs and Foggon, and thoroughly deserved his ovation at the end.
The City forwards again were far too slow and seemed terrified of going forward. Only Tueart had any progressive ideas, although Keegan, who reminds me of McGovern, produced several neat touches and deserves every encouragement.
Middlesbrough were the better footballing side and did not deserve to be beaten. They moved the ball more intelligently than did City and were quicker in all departments, and particularly when taking advantage of mistakes . In defence Craggs was outstanding and the slick manner in which Middlesbrough moved from defence into attack offered City a lesson which they should try to emulate. In any case, City really must carry out every attack to a logical conclusion and not retrace their steps in order to start all over again.
The opening stages were mediocre and it needed a goal to generate any enthusiasm among the holiday crowd. It arrived in the 28th minute when Marsh headed home a centre by Tueart, although Middlesbrough appeared to think that Marsh was offside. Mills was so upset that he was booked for his protest. Six minutes later Booth failed to cut out a pass from Souness and Mills equalised.
In the second half Corrigan took on Middlesbrough almost single handed, but with 14 minutes to go Bell, who just previously had tested Platt with a magnificent shot, timed his run perfectly when Marsh gave him the ball and Platt had no chance of thwarting him on this occasion.