Manchester City v West Ham United 1971/72

8th April 1972

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attendance 38,491

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City Marsh(10 & 66), Bell(49)
West Ham Hurst(82)

Ref John Hunting

City Healey, Book, Donachie, Towers, Booth, Oakes, Lee, Bell, Davies, Marsh, Surnmerbee – Sub Doyle(unused)

West Ham Grotier, McDowell, Lampard, Bonds, Taylor, Moore, Redknapp, Best, Hurst, Brooking, Robson – Sub Charles(unused)

FROM AN ARTICLE BY JOHN MADDOCKS, PUBLISHED IN THE CITY PROGRAMME 21ST SEPTEMBER 1985
On 8th April, West Ham United were the visitors to Maine Road. This was the game when Rodney Marsh first made his mark and showed what he could do even if he was still way off peak fitness. It left fans wondering just what he would achieve when fully fit.
After 10 minutes a drive from Francis Lee cannoned down from the crossbar, and Marsh quickly fastened on to it and smacked it home for the only goal of the first half. City had been a shade lucky up to this point as both Frank Larnpard and Harry Redknapp had hit the Blues’ bar, but the Hammers had no-one with Marsh’s opportunism.
Furthermore, City keeper Ronnie Healey had sprained an ankle in the pre-match warm-up in the gym, but this was carefully kept secret with pain-killing injections.
City and England star Mike Summerhee had a “blinder” that day, and it was a pass from him to Marsh that eventually set Colin Bell up for City’s second goal, just after half-time. A quarter of an hour later Rodney Marsh scored his second and City’s third after some hesitation by Hammers’ keeper Peter Grotier.
Geoff Hurst got a consolation goal for the Hammers towards the end.