VERONA 2 CITY 2
Friendly
6th August 1992
attendance approx 5,000
scorers
City Sheron(6 & 24)
Verona Brightwell(36 og), Frederico(82)
City Coton, Hill, I Brightwell, Lake, Curle, Vonk, White, Sheron, Quinn, Simpson, McMahon – used subs Flitcroft, Reid, Brennan, Mike, Holden, Margetson
FROM THE PRESS BOX
PAUL HINCE WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 7TH AUGUST 1992
Mike Sheron let his educated feet do the talking in Verona last night.
And the message which City’s England under 21 star thundered out to his boss was crystal clear, he won’t be the one to stand down if Blues’ boss Peter Reid succeeds in landing Coventry City striker Kevin Gallacher.
The modest youngster from St Helens silenced 5,000 noisy Italians in the stunning Bentegodi Stadium with two magnificent goals in the space of 18 minutes to earn the leg weary Blues their second draw of the five-match tour to Northern Italy.
In their second game in the space of 24 hours, again played in greenhouse conditions, City’s soccer in the early stages was as hot as the weather, with dead eyed Sheron pouncing after only six minutes to sweep the ball home majestically from just inside the area after a clever knockdown from Niall Quinn.
Sheron’s second, 12 minutes later was even more spectacular as he raced onto a deep right wing cross from David White to bury an awesome right foot volley into the bottom corner before keeper Gregori had moved a muscle.
Verona, down and almost out after Sheron’s two goal blast, were thrown an unexpected lifeline, nine minutes from the interval when the hard-working Ian Brightwell unluckily steered a right-wing cross past keeper Tony Coton.
Sheron’s chances of completing his hat-trick disappeared when he was substituted at half-time in favour of new, £900,000 winger Rick Holden, whose transfer from Oldham was finalised only minutes before the kick-off.
Holden, weary after his flight and a full hour drive to the Dolomites was given little chance to demonstrate his wing artistry and the Blues visibly wilted in temperatures approaching 90 degrees in the Bentegodi Bowl.
Inspired by Skipper Keith Curle, the Maine Road men defended gallantly but their resistance finally crumbled eight minutes from time when Verona striker Frederico popped up at the far post to steer home a teasing cross from the former Juventus star Fanna.
Although by then the gutsy Blues could scarcely raise a gallop between them, Reid’s side almost snatched victory at the death when a fierce header from the ever-improving Gary Flitcroft hit White on the goal line, with keeper Gregori hopelessly beaten.