Manchester United v Manchester City 1978/79

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MANCHESTER UNITED 1 CITY 0 League Division 1 30th September 1978 attendance 55,317 scorer Jordan(89) Ref N Ashley

City Corrigan, Clements, Donachie, Power, Watson, Futcher, Owen, Channon, Kidd, Hartford, Barnes - sub Palmer(unused)

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United Roche, Albiston, Houston, McQueen, Buchan, B Greenhoff, Coppell, J Greenhoff, McIlroy, Jordan, Macari - sub McCreery

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THE GREAT DERBY MATCHES, MANCHESTER UNITED VERSUS MANCHESTER CITY By Michael Heatley and Ian Welch This derby was considered to be a touch out of the ordinary, occurring as it did during United's centenary season. It also saw two very different team line-ups as Tony Book and Dave Sexton looked to improve on showings of tenth and fourth the previous term. Gordon Hill and Alex Stepney had left Old Trafford, while Paul Power and Gary Owen were staking their claim to be the successors to Colin Bell (still injury-plagued) and Mike Doyle (sold to Stoke). Paddy Roche made his second, and last, derby appearance in the United goal, while City's Paul Futcher, signed with striker brother Ron from Luton Town, slotted into central defence alongside Dave Watson.

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The teams were only separated by a point as they faced each other, United having started marginally the worse, so it was no surprise that the Centenary year derby, calculated by means of Newton Heath's foundation, failed to spark on the field despite all the razzmatazz. Things looked to be heading for a goalless bore draw...but just when you thought it was safe to head for the exit, ‘Jaws’ Joe Jordan surfaced to strike and ensure the spoils went to United.

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Jordan’s chance had been set up by fellow Scot and former Leeds club-mate Gordon McQueen, whose aerial challenge for a Coppell corner proved too hot for Corrigan to hold. The pair had initially been regarded with suspicion by some fans, aware of the keen United-Leeds rivalry, but if any remained to be won over this surely did the trick.

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City were disappointed not to have gone ahead not long earlier, when Channon beat Roche only for play to be pulled back for an offside decision. Brian Kidd, no longer looking such an oddity in his fifth derby in City colours, came close too, but was not to add to his impressive haul of three goals in the previous two games since arriving from Arsenal.

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