NEW SOUTH WALES 1 CITY 2
Post season friendly
16th May 1970
Attendance 18,000
Scorers
City Bowyer(45), Owen(78)
New South Wales Denton(82)
ref Tony Boskovic
City Corrigan, Book, Booth, Heslop, Pardoe, Jeffries, Oakes, Carrodus, Bowyer, Young, Towers – sub Owen(71)
New South Wales Rorke, Keith, Ackerley, Schaefer, Marnoch, Yeagar, Abonvi, Warren, Keddle, Baartz, Blitz – subs Denton(57), Campbell(57), Alston(57)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
DAVID JACK WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 16TH MAY 1970
After watching Manchester City struggle to a 2-1 victory over New South Waled today manager Joe Mercer said: “This certainly wasn’t one of our:better performances.”
In fact. City won by the skin of their teeth because with only one minute left NSW tossed away the easiest chance of the game.
A bad pass back from a City defender went straight to NSW forward Mike Denton. He turned and shot hurriedly with only goalkeeper Joe Corrigan to beat and his effort went just wide allowing the touring team to chalk up another win.
There were inquests in the City dressing room after the match. Most of the complaints were about Denton’s goal for the home team. It looked a soft header but with Corrigan caught flatfooted the ball floated tantalisingly over his head into the net.
That goal came after City had built up a 2-0 lead, through Ian Bowyer one minute before half-time and Bobby Owen in 78 minutes.
City were lucky to be ahead at half-time having turned in a disappointing 45 minutes when they were actually outplayed by NSW.
In that first half the Australians, most of whom have played for the international side, played a lot of good football, but centre forward Dave Keddle missed two simple scoring chances.
This was anything but a good win for City. Indeed NSW left back Stan Ackerley, a Manchester lad who used to be United, said: “City were very ordinary. They looked much better when I was home in 1966.
It seems the Australian teams are determined to show City that no club can afford to take things easily when such big name players as Lee, Bell and Summerbee are out of action.
Tonight City fly tn Brisbane where they should have a much easier match against Queensland.