Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City 1986/87

 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 2 CITY 1

League Division 1

20th April 1987

attendance 19,769

Scorers City Varadi(8) Wednesday Chapman(53)

Ref K Lupton

City Nixon, Clements, Wilson, Redmond, McCarthy, Baker, White, McNab, Varadi, Stewart, Simpson - sub I Brightwell(40)

FROM THE PRESS BOX

JOHN EDWARDS WRITING IN THE DAILY STAR 21ST APRIL 1987 Mick McCarthy last night blasted the goal that made relegation a matter of when rather than if for Manchester City. Lee Chapman wrestled his way round the big City defender and fired Home Sheffield Wednesday's 53rd minute winner. But McCarthy said: "He leaned across me and held me off as I challenged for the ball. it was definitely a foul but you don't get those decisions when you're at the bottom. McCarthy also hit out at Chapman over a second half clash when both players ended up on the ground. "I've never been hit hard enough to stay down the way he did," said McCarthy." Yet I never actually touched him. I'm upset about that because it's clear he was trying to get me sent off." No-one from City would admit that they are down, but striker Imre Varadi did concede: "There's no two ways about it, that was a game we simply had to win." And Varadi provided the early impetus to suggest City could do just that. The Hillsborough old boy rocked Wednesday in the eighth minute by rising unchallenged to head home Paul Simpson's right wing corner. It gave City the lead for the fourth successive match, and yet again they were unable to keep it as Wednesday struck back within five minutes. Varadi was involved again as he hauled back Mel Sterling to present Brian Marwood with a penalty that just eluded Eric Nixon. Manager Jimmy Frizzell said: "Looking at the table all you can feel is the pressure of the other 21 teams weighing down on you. Both teams were packed with nerves, but Wednesday held theirs better than we did."