CITY 0 CHELSEA 1
European Cup Winners Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg
28th April 1971
attendance 43,663
scorer Healey(43 og)
Ref I Zsolt
City Healey, Book, Connor, Towers, Heslop, Jeffries,Summerbee, Lee, Bowyer, Young, Johnson – subs Carter, Donachie(45), Carter(?), Hill(unused), Mann(unused)
Chelsea Phillips, Mulligan, Harris, Cooke, Dempsey, Webb, Weller, Hudson, Smethurst, Boyle, Houseman
YOUNG CITY GOALKEEPER RON HEALEY MAKES THE MISTAKE THAT SEES CHELSEA WIN THE TIE
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FROM THE PRESS BOX
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PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 29TH APRIL 1971
It was a gamble that failed for Manchester City on the sad night that their crippling toll of injuries finally caught up with them.
Joe Mercer dealt two half-fit men and an inexperienced boy from his depleted pack, only to find polished and professional Chelsea holding all the aces that firmly trumped City’s brave bid to keep the Cup Winners’ Cup.
Mike Summerbee and Derek Jeffries were clearly not capable of coping with the demands of a testing European semi-final so soon after injury and the immature Jeffrey Johnson looked totally out of his depth.
But don’t blame Johnson. I maintain it was folly to play the 17 year old in a match that cried out for the sort of experience that was sitting on the substitutes’ bench in the form of Freddie Hill and Arthur Mann.
Johnson, before he was replaced at half time by Willie Donachie who had been dropped initially, had an early chance that could have wiped out Chelsea’s first leg lead. But the occasion looked too much for the gallant young player and he failed to connect with an opening, a more mature forward might have eagerly grabbed.
Forget, too, the dreadful error perpetrated by Ronnie Healey shortly before half time when he carelessly dropped an inswinging free kick from Keith Weller for the goal that virtually sealed Chelsea’s final ticket…
It was a gamble that failed for Manchester City on the sad night that their crippling toll of injuries finally caught up with them.
Joe Mercer dealt two half-fit men and an inexperienced boy from his depleted pack, only to find polished and professional Chelsea holding all the aces that firmly trumped City’s brave bid to keep the Cup Winners’ Cup.
Mike Summerbee and Derek Jeffries were clearly not capable of coping with the demands of a testing European semi-final so soon after injury and the immature Jeffrey Johnson looked totally out of his depth.
But don’t blame Johnson. I maintain it was folly to play the 17 year old in a match that cried out for the sort of experience that was sitting on the substitutes’ bench in the form of Freddie Hill and Arthur Mann.
Johnson, before he was replaced at half time by Willie Donachie who had been dropped initially, had an early chance that could have wiped out Chelsea’s first leg lead. But the occasion looked too much for the gallant young player and he failed to connect with an opening, a more mature forward might have eagerly grabbed.
Forget, too, the dreadful error perpetrated by Ronnie Healey shortly before half time when he carelessly dropped an inswinging free kick from Keith Weller for the goal that virtually sealed Chelsea’s final ticket…