CITY 1 CRYSTAL PALACE 0
League Division 1
9th January 1971
attendance 27,442
scorer Book(71)
Ref G Hartley
City Corrigan, Book, Mann, Doyle, Booth, Oakes, Carrodus, Bell, Summerbee, Young, Jeffries – sub Hill(70)
Crystal Palace Jackson, Sewell, Wall, Dawkins, Hoadley, Blyth, Taylor, Kember, Queen, Birchenall, Humphreys – sub Scott(unused)
It was obvious that Crystal Palace came to Maine Road looking for a goal-less draw inviting City on to them, who struggled to break them down. Peter Gardner commenting in the Manchester Evening News “… a dour encounter in which Crystal Palace’s efficient but so negative defensive covering came within 18 minutes of success.”
City were without Francis Lee, and so Mike Summerbee played through the middle, and despite a good display he couldn’t get on the scoresheet. Mike Doyle in particular was excellent in controlling City’s midfield play and was also unlucky to score with a header that came back of the bar.
The goal that won it was a rare strike by Tony Book. Paul Doherty wrote about it in The People: “… Consider the situation. There was Hill jogging up and down along the touchline as City fought to open the tough Palace defence.
Then suddenly, there was substitute Hill… He ran on to the park and delegated himself to take a free kick for a foul on Colin Bell. And almost before Neil Young, the man he replaced, was off the field, Hill’s cross was being headed on by Bell straight to the feet of skipper Tony Book.
He belted it, without ceremony and with some relief, into the back of the net.”