STOKE CITY 0 CITY 0
League Division 1
2nd April 1976
attendance 18,798
Ref K Styles
City Corrigan, Hammond, Donachie, Doyle, Booth, Oakes, Barnes, Keegan, Royle, Power, Tueart – Sub Owen(unused)
Stoke Shilton, Lumsdon, Pejic, Mahoney, Smith, Bloor, Dodd, Greenhoff, Moores, Haslegrave, Salmons
Prior to the game the City players, staff and Directors were all presented with specially cast Portmerrion Tankards to commemorate the Blues League Cup Final win. The presentation was made by Stoke’s Commercial Manager, Dudley Kernick
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FROM THE PRESS BOX
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PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS FOOTBALL PINK FINAL 3RD APRIL 1976
Manchester City prised a richly deserved point from a skilful and entertaining goalless clash at Stoke last night.
There was still no answer to the Blues’ three months long problem of scoring away from home, but at least manager Tony Book found other encouraging signs in his build-up for next season.
It came with the magnificent performance of Paul Power in a makeshift City side denied the services of three top internationals.
The absence of injured Colin Bell and Dave Watson, along with the suspended Asa Hartford left Book turning to Power and Ged Keegan to support veteran Alan Oakes in midfield and neither player let him down.
Keegan, perhaps, tried to over-elaborate with the final pass, but Power’s positive running and persistence highlighted a match that retained much of the incident and invention of the January FA Cup clash but fortunately none of the violence.
Geoff Hammond’s recall stiffened the right flank of the back four but it was the stubborn resistance of Tommy Booth and Mike Doyle that stood out most in City’s spirited fight.
They solidly crushed the scoring menace of Ian Moores and Jimmy Greenhoff with Doyle’s immaculate reading of situations superbly revealed 20 minutes from the end when, with goalkeeper Joe Corrigan for once beaten, he headed a powerful Geoff Salmons shot off the line.
… Barnes and Royle later shot just over and Salmons drove into the side netting for Stoke to keep the action flowing. But, overall, a draw was just about right for sides so closely matched that they have shared just two goals in three tight games this season.
Manchester City prised a richly deserved point from a skilful and entertaining goalless clash at Stoke last night.
There was still no answer to the Blues’ three months long problem of scoring away from home, but at least manager Tony Book found other encouraging signs in his build-up for next season.
It came with the magnificent performance of Paul Power in a makeshift City side denied the services of three top internationals.
The absence of injured Colin Bell and Dave Watson, along with the suspended Asa Hartford left Book turning to Power and Ged Keegan to support veteran Alan Oakes in midfield and neither player let him down.
Keegan, perhaps, tried to over-elaborate with the final pass, but Power’s positive running and persistence highlighted a match that retained much of the incident and invention of the January FA Cup clash but fortunately none of the violence.
Geoff Hammond’s recall stiffened the right flank of the back four but it was the stubborn resistance of Tommy Booth and Mike Doyle that stood out most in City’s spirited fight.
They solidly crushed the scoring menace of Ian Moores and Jimmy Greenhoff with Doyle’s immaculate reading of situations superbly revealed 20 minutes from the end when, with goalkeeper Joe Corrigan for once beaten, he headed a powerful Geoff Salmons shot off the line.
… Barnes and Royle later shot just over and Salmons drove into the side netting for Stoke to keep the action flowing. But, overall, a draw was just about right for sides so closely matched that they have shared just two goals in three tight games this season.
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