CITY 3 COVENTRY CITY 0
League Division 1
22nd November 1980
attendance 30,047
scorers Reeves(3), Power(7), Bennett(56)
ref Peter Willis
City Corrigan, Ranson, McDonald, Reid, Power, Booth, Bennett, Gow, MacKenzie, Hutchison, Reeves – sub Henry(88)
Coventry Sealey, Jacobs, Roberts, Blair, Dyson, Gillespie, Bodak, Thompson, Hateley, Thomas, Hunt – sub Daly(46)
DAVE BENNETT SEALS THE VICTORY WITH CITY’S THIRD GOAL
FROM THE PRESS BOX
PATRICK BARCLAY WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 24TH NOVEMBER 1980
After his first match in charge of Manchester City, a wretched home defeat by Birmingham City five weeks ago. John Bond said the club might have to be relegated before they could improve. This was a disclaimer notice. “The management,” he was in effect intimating, “cannot unfortunately be held responsible for dreams harboured on the premises…”
On Saturday, glowing with pride in a delightful performance against Coventry City, he had the decency to grin sheepishly as he took the notice down.
“I meant it.” he said, “even if the statement was made for a purpose. But I shall certainly be very disappointed it we go down now.” The fact is Manchester City have turned into a team both winning and winsome a good deal more quickly than even Bond expected. They have taken 11 points from seven matches, and on Saturday were cheered to the echo by one of England‘s most deserving crowds for football that was simple, articulate, and above all comprehensible.
The opposition, as Bond agreed, were not much of a test. Indeed naive Coventry, with eight players aged 21 or under, looked as soft as touch as Malcolm Allison’s feebler Manchester City sides. The experience of Hutchison and McDonald, two new heroes of the Kippax, would undoubtedly have helped them.
However, before too glib a conclusion is drawn. it is worth recalling that on last season’s visit to Manchester City. the Coventry team Included not only Hutchison and McDonald, but Wallace and Ferguson too, and the score was the same. A change of surroundings can alter a player’s outlook radically, as Hutchison, McDonald, and Gow have found after their transfers from cul-de-sac to the open road.
All three played extremely well on Saturday without reaching the heights of Power, whose liberation produced Maine Road‘s finest left-flank performance since the false dawn of Peter Barnes. He also headed a sweet goal, and struck a post, during a first 20 minutes in which the home side might have scored seven times.
A neat turn and shot by Reeves brought the opening goal after three minutes, denying Coventry the option of defending, Ranson’s intelligent near post cross helped Power to score soon afterwards. and in the second half Hutchison‘s superbly judged cross was headed on by Reeves for Bennett, who stopped to pluck his reward for a skilled display.
