CITY 2 NEWCASTLE UNITED 1
League Division 1
11th September 1971
attendance 32,710
scorers
City Bell(44), Lee(77)
Newcastle MacDonald(24)
Ref John Hunting
City Corrigan, Book, Donachie, Doyle, Booth, Bell, Summerbee, Jeffries, Davies, Lee, Mellor – sub Towers
Newcastle McFaul, Craig, Guthrie, Gibb, Burton, Clark, Cassidy, MacDonald, Tudor, Nattrass, Hibbitt – sub Young(48)
COLIN BELL GRABS THE EQUALISER
FRANCIS LEE HITS THE WINNER
FROM THE PRESS BOX
IT’S BELL TO THE RESCUE AGAIN
PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS FOOTBALL PINK 11TH SEPTEMBER 1971
Colin Bell, two goal hero of Manchester City’s midweek League Cup win, was again on the mark for the Blues at Maine Road this afternoon. He drove in a 44th minute equaliser to wipe out the lead Malcolm MacDonald had given Newcastle in the first half of a match virtually monopolised by City.
The MacDonald goal, a real touch of class from the £180,000 “Super Mac,” came in one of the Magpie’s few first half raids. In the same period Mike Doyle three times went near with grand efforts; Ian Mellor saw a great shot superbly saved, and Bell drove the ball outside from a good position.
The desperate and shaky Newcastle defence finally crumbled with Wyn Davies upsetting his former team mates by laying on the chance for Bell to ring up the equaliser.
City made Davies skipper for the day against his former club, and the big Welshman started off on the right note by winning the toss.
Newcastle got the game moving, but Doyle came through powerfully and then Lee and Davies also probed. Donachie forced Craig into a hurried back pass which seemed suspiciously behind the line when McFaul picked up the ball.
In their next raid City won a corner. Jeffries brought the ball through strongly from defence and Mellor nudged it out to Davies, whose cross went behind off Clark. Then Mellor flicked Summerbee’s flag kick on to Doyle, who headed over.
When the Magpies replied it was through MacDonald , going down the left, only to see Donachie sweep away the cross. When MacDonald again attempted to bring the ball across to his left foot, when taking a sharp pass from Gibb, Summerbee dashed back to put Corrigan in possession.
The tenacious Mellor took the ball from Guthrie and when Lee moved in to take up possession Newcastle were forced to back-pedal.
Lee’s shot was palmed down by McFaul and Burton had to force the ball behind as Davies closed in. Then from the cross United found themselves in trouble as Doyle thundered forward to power in a fine shot that was only inches over the crossbar.
Sixty seconds later Doyle was almost the mark again. This time Mellor carved out a track down the left flank and surprised Newcastle with a cross that hugged the turf all the way. Davies turned sharply away from Burton to push the ball back to Doyle, whose shot this time kept low and screamed inches wide of a post.
The game was rapidly becoming a one way barrage, with the Blues constantly bombarding Newcastle’s defence.
But then Newcastle struck back. MacDonald pounced on to a half-clearance from the City defence and unleashed a venomous left-foot drive. It sent Corrigan scuttling across his line to push the ball behind for a corner, that Donachie headed clear.
In the 24th minute Newcastle attacked again, this time with dire results for City.
With a ball from deep inside his own half, Gibb found MacDonald who showed a devastating turn of speed as he accelerated away from Doyle, rounded Corrigan and scored with a fine left-footed shot.
MacDonald went chasing a second three minutes later, but this time Booth was there to get City out of another tight spot.
It certainly stung City into renewed attacking action and Lee, forging a vital link with Doyle, pulled the ball back to his wing-half when hemmed in on the left.
Doyle chipped the ball into the middle of a packed Newcastle penalty area but Davies cleverly touched it down for Mellor who found space to turn and drive in a fine shot that McFaul brilliantly turned behind.
Then from a free kick on the edge of the United penalty area, Bell turned the ball to Lee. who’s wicked low shot was blocked by Craig.
Newcastle continued to look far from secure in defence, and when Summerbee rounded Guthrie, McFaul could only push out the short sharp centre. Unfortunately there was no City forward near enough to exploit the situation.
Four minutes from half-time Bell had a fine chance to put City level, but he shot outside.
Then, almost on the interval whistle, he had another chance and this time made no mistake. It started with a fine run by Summerbee down the left, Davies touched the ball on to Lee and Bell coming in strongly from the right, drove the ball in first time.
Half-time: Manchester City 1 Newcastle United 1
The second half panned out much as the first with City on top and it was left to Francis Lee to grab the winner in the 77th minute.