CITY 2 LEICESTER CITY 2

FA Cup 5th Round

5th March 1966

Attendance 56,787

Scorers
City Young(51 & 76)
Leicester Sinclair(5), Stringfellow(30)

Ref H Wilson

City Dowd, Kennedy, Horne, Doyle, Heslop, Oakes, Summerbee, Crossan, Pardoe, Connor, Young.

Leicester Banks, Rodrigues, Norman, Cross, Sjoberg, Appleton, Sinclair, Roberts, Dougan, Gibson, Stringfellow

 With the type of football the Blues were playing, it was little wonder that another 50,000-plus gate was registered when First Division Leicester City… arrived for the fifth-round tie.
… it was the Midlanders who were to bring the roars of delight from their travelling fans. They went in front as early as the sixth minute and this left the Manchester side somewhat stunned.
Outside left Mike Stringfellow was patrolling the touchline as he retrieved the ball when it seemed to be running out of play, and next it was lobbed forward by inside right Bobby Roberts.
“We thought the offside whistle was about to go,” said one defender later, “and foolishly we held off:”
And the error was punished. Right winger Jackie Sinclair, who had wandered in from his touchline, seized possession and stabbed his shot past Harry Dowd.
Two minutes later the Blues could have been level. Mike Doyle moved along the edge of the penalty area and squeezed a centre into the goalmouth. Skipper Johnny Crossan got hold of the ball and prodded it towards goal, but the shot hit England goalkeeper Gordon Banks. When it came back to Crossan, the Northern Ireland international put a second effort over the bar.
It wasn’t long before Leicester had even more to rejoice about, and knowing looks were exchanged between home fans as the gulf in status between the clubs began to show.
The home defence was split wide open by a pass from David Gibson, holder of seven Scottish caps. Seemingly from nowhere
appeared the gangling figure of Stringfellow and without breaking stride, he moved forward and guided the ball past Dowd.
Whatever Joe and Malcolm said in the dressing room at halftime was never recorded but something must have sparked off a fightback which was to earn the club a trip to Leicester four days later.

Four minutes of the second half had elapsed when Glyn Pardoe was brought down. City thought it should have been a penalty but the referee awarded a free kick outside the area.
Neil Young was the man with the responsibility and he shot hard towards the net.
At this point you could have stopped the film in the “What Happened Next?” section in “A Question of Sport”. The experienced Banks was dumbfounded as the ball hit his toe, ran up his body, and flew into the net via his shoulder!
The Manchester Blues, although playing on this occasion in maroon, sensed that there was a distinct chance to save the game. They attacked ceaselessly, a vastly-improved side from the one that had trailed in the first half, and their efforts were duly rewarded.
Thirteen minutes were left and Dave Connor was lying injured deep in our defence. Full back Bobby Kennedy gained possession and saw that he had one route out of trouble … belting the ball upfield to Pardoe who, in turn, found Mike Summerbee with a telling pass.
The crowd seemed to know that a memorable moment was on the doorstep. “Buzzer” cut inside towards the penalty area and sent the ball into the goalmouth where Young was lurking unmarked. The tall outside left turned and then unleashed a shot which gave Banks no chance.
ADAPTED FROM AN ARTICLE IN THE CITY PROGRAMME 17TH JANUARY 1996

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