CITY 1 DERBY COUNTY 1

League Division 1

29th April 1978

Attendance 39,175

Scorers
City Channon(24)
Derby Daly(35)

Ref M Peck

City Corrigan, Clements, Donachie, Booth, Watson, Owen, Kidd, Channon, Bell, Hartford, Power – sub Barnes(61)

Derby Middleton, Langan, Buckley, Rioch, McFarland, Todd, Curran, Daly, Chesters, George, Ryan – sub Powell

FROM THE PRESS BOX

A REPORT FROM THE SPORTS ARGUS 29TH APRIL 1978
Derby County boss Tommy Docherty and his Manchester City counterpart, Tony Book, worked their own brand on managerial magic at Maine Road.
Their interval team talk must have been something special to turn an uninteresting first half match into a thrilling spectacle. City went ahead through Channon after 24 minutes, Daly equalised 11 minutes later.
City launched the first serious attack only for Channon to be fouled by McFarland.
The resulting free kick caused all sorts of trouble for Derby, Kidd hit a fierce swerving drive which bent round the defensive wall but Middleton dived quickly to his left to save.
Derby hit back with McFarland finding George with a brilliant through ball, but Booth and Clements combined to clear the danger.
McFarland had to be at his best to clear at the expense of a corner when Clements curled a pass towards Channon, but Middleton easily collected the corner kick.
In the 24th minute City broke quickly to take a lead they just about deserved.
The goal was scored by Channon, but the credit should go to Hartford. The Scot raced diagonally across the area and although taking a nudge from Ryan he kept up well, rounded Middleton and then chipped the ball back into the middle where Channon had the simplest of tasks to volley home.
Channon’s goal breathed life into the game. Curran missed one good chance for Derby when he cut in from the right, but from a good position hit a weak shot well wide.
In the 35th minute Daly, always a problem for City when he was with neighbours Manchester United, stepped up to crack the City defence open to equalise.
Their chance appeared to have been lost when Ryan chipped his way into the box, but delayed too long. Booth was able to block the resulting shot, but the ball only rolled to the edge of the City area and Daly blasted home past an astonished Corrigan.
Two minutes later City almost went ahead again. Once again it was Channon who was the problem for Derby as he took up a pass from Bell. His shot struck Langan, however, and ballooned over the bar for a corner which was cleared easily.
The second half opened in sparkling fashion. Derby could count themselves rather fortunate that Brian Kidd, normally one of the safest of strikers, missed two good opportunities
First he shot wide from a good position and with only Middleton to beat, and then when Booth headed back into the middle, Kidd was unmarked again, but somehow nodded over the bar.
At the other end it was Daly who was again the danger, Corrigan having to make a superb save from the Irishman.
After Corrigan’s fine save Middleton was not to be left out of the limelight, he made a great stop to foil Hartford.
Hartford earned himself a booking from referee Mr M Peck following a double challenge on Curran.