CITY 1 CHELSEA 1
League Division 1
5th October 1974
attendance 32,412
scorers
CityBell(75)
Chelsea Hutchinson(58)
Ref D Turner
City MacRae, Hammond, Pardoe, Doyle, Barrett, Oakes, Summerbee, Bell, Marsh, Hartford, Tueart – sub Horswill(73)
Chelsea Phillips, Locke, Harris, Hollins, Droy, Dempsey, Kember, Garner, Cooke, Hutchinson, Houseman, sub Wilkins(75)
Chelsea under caretaker boss Ron Suart, came to Maine Road with a packed defence, hoping for a draw with a battling performance that almost gained them both points.
Tony Book must have wondered how his team went in at half-time without at least one goal on the scoreboard.
John Phillips, between the sticks for the Pensioners made two great saves from shots by Mike Doyle and Rodney Marsh, he also parried a shot from Colin Bell straight into the path of Mike Summerbee, just a few yards out, however when it was easier to score the City winger could only hit the post.
After the break the game was stalemate until just before the hour mark, when from a Gary Locke corner, Bill Garner nodded on and Ian Hutchison turned the ball past Macrae to give Chelsea an unlikely lead.
The lead lasted less than a quarter of an hour, when a move involving Horswill, Marsh and Summerbee was finished crisply by Colin Bell.
The game finished with some ugly scenes, The first saw Hartford challenge Hollins for a high ball and the City midfielder caught Hollins heavily as they landed, Hollins could take no further part in the game and Hartford was sent off.
Five minutes before the end, Kember lashed out at Bell at a corner kick in Kember also received his marching orders.
Houseman however, was lucky to get away with a late incident when he struck out at Dennis Tueart.