CITY 1 QUEENS PARK RANGERS 0
League Division 1
17th November 1973
attendance 30,486543
scorer Lee(28 pen)
ref Ray Tinkler
City MacRae, Pardoe, Donachie, Barrett, Booth, Towers, Summerbee, Bell, Law, Lee, Marsh – sub Carrodus(unused)
QPR Parkes, Clement, Hazell, Venables, Mancini, McLintock, Thomas, Francis, Busby, Bowles, Given – sub Delve(73)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
MARSH UPSETS QPR
TED MACAULEY WRITING IN THE SUNDAY MIRROR 18TH NOVEMBER 1973
It might have been the match of the season, but in fact it only made a cold day colder. At the end the teams were separated by a neat but unspectacular Francis Lee penalty goal.
There was great goalkeeping by Phil Parkes. Three times he was brave and swift to cut out super shots from Tony Towers and Denis Law.
It was left to Francis Lee to busy himself around the slower-running Rodney Marsh, who, back in the side after a long lay off won the decisive penalty in the 27th minute.
Marsh was clearly pulled by Gerry Francis, and Lee drove the spot kick past Parkes, the last time on which this great young keeper looked like being beaten.
But it was a bitter Venables who was booked by referee Ray Tinkler after Marsh had taken a spectacular tumble. It was the first time the Rangers skipper had been had been booked for a foul in three years. Venables afterwards said “I was very angry, but there was nothing I could do.”
The tackle by Venables was certainly hardly vigorous.
The Old Boys, Stan Bowles ex-City and now of Rangers and Marsh, finished with a less than ordinary report.
Bowles showed too much aggression, and Marsh not enough.
Indeed, Bowles was at the centre of one or two inflammatory moments that earned him a warning from Mr Tinkler.
It looked as if the game might boil over as Lee dashed fifty yards to wag his finger at Bowles after he’d fouled full back Glyn Pardoe.
Rangers, with a reputation for an attacking glow, rarely got beyond the defensive reaches of Tommy Booth and the excellent Colin Barrett.
The scariest moments that City suffered ironically came from their own defenders,
An over-eager back pass from Pardoe brought a superb save out of Keith Macrae.
Then Macrae was beaten by another Pardoe pass that was kicked into the stands by Willie Donachie.