CITY 2 CRYSTAL PALACE 1

Canon League Division 2

29th September 1984

attendance 20,252

scorers
City Smith(12), Kinsey(72)
Palace Irvine(15)

Ref George Tyson

City Williams, May, Power, Reid, McCarthy, Phillips, Smith, Baker, Cunningham, Wilson, Kinsey – sub Tolmie(71)

Palace Wood, Locke, Sparrow, Stebbing, Whyte, Cannon, Irvine, Murphy, Mahoney, Nicholas, Cummins – sub Hughton

GORDON SMITH SCORES CITY’S DECISIVE GOAL

FROM THE PRESS BOX

PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS FOOTBALL PINK FINAL 29TH SEPTEMBER 1984
Steve Kinsey couldn’t have timed his first goal of the season better.
He pounced nin the 71st minute to re-establish the lead for Manchester City against Crystal Palace at Maine Road this afternoon.
Palace had tenaciously fought back to score a 17th minute equaliser through winger Alan Irvine.
It followed a lucky 13th minute break for the Blues when Gordon Smith drove in his fourth goal of the season to put himself level with leading scorer Derek Parlane.
With May recovering from the knee injury which kept him out of the mid-week Milk Cup Victory over Blackpool when Lomax substituted at right back, City reverted to the side which won convincingly at Cardiff seven days ago.
Wilson attempted to continue the amazing sequence of early goals when he cut in from the left to drive a cracking shot into the side netting with a mere matter of seconds gone.
Smith came raiding on the opposite flank to keep Palace firmly under pressure and it took a first time clearance from Sparrow to keep the Londoners out of trouble.
In the 12th minute a crunching tackle by Whyte on Kinsey led to a justified booking for the Palace defender.
The free-kick provided another attacking platform for the Blues and though Palace cleared the initial attempt City continued to move forward aggressively, building up a splendid move from which they took a 13th minute lead.
Phillips played the ball square for Kinsey, Wilson took over on the left and when the ball was crossed Smith turned sweetly to drive in a shot from close range.
… However, in the 17th minute, Palace counter punched to flatten City with a shock equaliser.
Irvine exploited a splendid long diagonal pass to cut in from the right before beating the oncoming Williams with a low shot that fairly rocketed into the bottom corner of the net.
May’s reckless attempt at a clearance handed Palace the initiative and Mahoney was quick to exploit the error.
He crossed from the right and Stebbing, coming at the far post turned in a menacing header that forced Williams into a full length save.
From the corner which Williams missed, May redeemed himself by booting clear first time with the Blues at this stage looking vulnerable.
City earned a corner on the right and from the cross by Phillips, McCarthy got up majestically to power in a header Wood saved at the second attempt.
Irvine, the former Everton winger, was rapidly establishing himself as the big dangerman to City and it took a blatant trip by Reid to stop the Palace flyer.
The free-kick was in a dangerous position some 25 yards out but Murphy could only curl his shot a foot over the bar.
Wilson buildig up a good understanding with Power, again found the City full back with a splendid ball down the left.
Power’s reward was a corner won on the left that when Phillips played the ball back to his skipper the flag went up offside against Cunningham and Kinsey.
Palace were now looking the more assertive side with City losing much of their early poise and polish.
Half-time: Manchester City 1, Crystal Palace 1
… City built up well from the back, Reid finding Smith but again Wood pounced to deny the Blues.
The crowd was now becoming increasingly restless at City’s inability to stamp their authority on the match of which Palace were still in command.
Whyte’s grip on Cunningham was as firm ever with the Blues number nine rarely getting a look in.
With a tight grip also being kept on Kinsey neither of City’s front runners were really able to exert their influences on the pattern of the game.
In the 70th minute City made their substitution. Tolmie coming on for Cunningham, a switch that raised more than a few eyebrows as well as jeers from the terraces.
And within seconds of that substitution, City were back in the lead. Kinsey holding off a challenge from Cannon to steer the ball wide and low past the left hand of Wood…