CITY 1 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1
League Division 1
15th April 1987
attendance 21,460
Scorers
City McNab(40 pen)
Spurs Claesen(75)
Ref Dennis Hedges
City Suckling, Gidman, Wilson, Clements, McCarthy, Langley, Simpson, McNab, Varadi, Stewart, Barnes – sub Moulden(unused)
Spurs Clemence, Stevens, Thomas, Hodge, Gough, Mabbutt, C Allen, P Allen, Waddle, Hoddle, Claesen – used sub Bowen
FROM THE PRESS BOX
CLAESEN ROBS CITY OF POINTS
PAUL FITZPATRICK WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 16TH APRIL 1987
There was an occasion in 1962 when Manchester City, to the amazement and delight of their followers and the disbelief of the rest of the country, beat the great Tottenham side of Blanchflower, Whlte, and Mackay 6-2 at Maine Road.
Last night they looked as lf they might complete a comparabl If less expansive victory. City’s capacity for surprise has never left them, and in view of their recent form and the respective states of the clubs this was a remarkable performance.
Unfortunately for them in an increasingly despairing struggle against relegation, It was not maintained for the full 90 minutes. Signs of distress began to appear ln City‘s rearguard when Langley beat a retreat from the halfway line to give Suckling a 30-yard back-pass, and soon afterwards, in the 75th minute, Spurs drew level.
Hoddle, dangerous rather than devastating, produced a beautiful free-kick, Thomas headed into the penalty area, and Claesen, thinking faster than the Clty defence, nodded the ball home ofl the far post. Since Suckling earlier had made a brilliant save from Hodge’s close-range header, Spurs mlght claim that they had earned their polnt. But there was a lot of deserved sympathy for City.
At the start supporters in the Kippax stand had left the City chairmanan, Peter Swales, an no doubt that their feelings had not changed since the weekend with a chant of “Swales out.” But at the end they and the rest of the crowd had been far too captivated by City’s performance to give a repeat ot‘ Saturday’s demonstrations.
If City had played anything remotely like this in the earlier part of the season they would never have been in the trouble they now are. It took them some time to find their fluency, but after taking the lead through a penalty by McNab in the 37th minute they produced some of their best football in a long time.
Barnes, playing only his second game since has Ill-timed, critical outburst about he modern game prior to the Manchester United match, looked at the outset as if this would be one of his less commtted performances.
But by the interval he had given Spurs no end of worry, with the crowd roaring their approval, City’s football grew increasingly impressive over the first 30 minutes of the second half. But Spurs began to find thelr more recognisable form over the final 15 mmutes, although a point was not really enough to sustain their championship ambitions, and might have persuaded them that Everton are beyond catching.